


Always Smiling

by EzzieValentine



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Other, Romance, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-01
Updated: 2014-05-06
Packaged: 2017-12-16 18:26:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 29,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/865186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EzzieValentine/pseuds/EzzieValentine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the defeat of Hojo, Vincent pays a final visit to Lucrecia who makes him promise her that he will start living life to its fullest. He finds the support he needs from a young ninja who is more like him than he thinks. Yuffentine</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_Always Smiling_

By Ezri-Candy

Disclaimer: As much as I wish I did, I do not own Final Fantasy 7…That privilege belongs to Square-Enix.

Summary: Yuffentine. After the defeat of Hojo, Vincent pays a final visit to Lucrecia who makes him promise her that he will start living life to its fullest. He finds the support he needs from a young ninja who is more like him than he thinks.

' ** _Chaos speaking to Vinnie_ '**

_'Vincent speaking to Chaos'_

'thinking'

"Speaking"

* * *

Chapter 1: Battle Wounds

* * *

It had only been twenty minutes since the defeat of Hojo and their return to the Highwind. Vincent, much to his satisfaction, had dealt the final blow that ended Hojo's sick and twisted existence. Everyone had been fighting from the moment they dropped in to Midgar by parachute.

Battle after battle occurred as they defeated Proud Clod, which was created by that bimbo, Scarlet, numerous soldiers, and monsters created by the man they had came to take out.

The Avalanche members were all gathered on the bridge.

Cid was partially slumped next to helm with his head resting on the cool metal wall.

Barret was trying to stand next to the wall across from Cid, trying not to show how tired he was, but failing miserably.

Cloud was leaning against the railing at the front of the Highwind with his head tilted back.

Tifa, ever present at Cloud's side, was sitting on the ground next to him with her arms wrapped around her knees.

Nanaki and Cait and Sith were off the side of the near the rear of the bridge. Though Cait could not tire, he did manage to stop bouncing around showing his endless energy. Nanaki lay next to him with his head resting on his paws.

Yuffie was sprawled on her back with her hands behind her head right in the middle of the floor of the Highwind Bridge. Various crewmembers were stepping over her, checking the ships systems and gauges.

Vincent showed no fatigue. He glanced at his comrades and assessed their various injuries that had not been taken care of yet. He looked down at the young ninja and saw the gash across her forehead, which was now crusted with dried blood.

While fighting one of Hojo's forms, Vincent was healing Cloud as one of Hojo's pseudo-limbs lashed out at him. Yuffie defected this with her shuriken but wasn't quite quick enough to avoid the full attack, which is how she received the deep laceration to her forehead.

Vincent had given a quick nod of thanks to her.

Between the shots that he had fired at Hojo, he was amazed to see the Ninja continue attacking with extreme precision, never once missing an attack on the scientist and not stopping to cure herself despite the blood that flowed into her eyes. She was truly a skilled fighter for someone so young.

Yuffie turned her head and looked over at Vincent and smiled at him, then returned looking at the ceiling.

'Odd…' Vincent thought to himself 'even exhausted and injured, she manages to smile.'

Cloud tipped his head back down and surveyed his crew. "We all need to get some rest, and really should check on the new _weapons_ that are roaming around on the planet."

Everyone nodded at this, too tired to comment.

"Cloud, would it be possible to stop at the mountain range where the falls are located?" Vincent asked.

"I don't see that being a problem. Cid, how long will it take us to arrive?" Cloud asked.

"Around five hours give or take twenty minutes…but with these numbskulls" he said pointing to his crew 'flyin' my ship while we rest, shit, it may take longer." Cid replied with a little weariness seeping into his voice.

"Okay, have them set a course, everyone else, return to your quarters and get some rest. When we reach the falls we will need someone to do a supply inventory so we can restock." He said, pushing himself off the railing.

"Well you heard the man, get yer lazy asses in gear and get this ship movin'! You," Cid pointed a young man watching some gauges near the panel by Yuffie's head "make an announcement once we arrive at the falls."

"Yes sir!" The young man said crisply snapping a salute.

Everyone began filing out to their quarters, stepping over Yuffie in the process.

Vincent walked over to Yuffie and offered her his good hand to help her up. Grasping it, she was gently pulled to her feet but was overcome by a wave dizziness and began to sway once she got there.

Vincent saw this and grasped her arm before she hit the deck. "Yuffie are you well?" He asked feeling concerned.

"Whoa." She said, teetering slightly. "I guess I'm just a little bit dizzy, and I have a headache."

"Well, that's probably from the head injury you sustained from Hojo. You did bleed quite a bit."

"Injury? Wha…oh yeah, I forgot about that."

Vincent reached into his armor and pulled out a Cure materia. He concentrated on the small green orb and murmured "Cure three."

Yuffie felt warmth surround her and felt most of the dizziness go away. She would have a slight headache for a while and there was a pale scar on her forehead that would fade in a few hours.

"Thanks Vinnie." She said quietly.

"Vinnie?" He asked with a fine eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, Vinnie. You don't mind me callin' you that do ya?" She asked looking up at him with stormy gray eyes.

"No, it is of no consequence."

 **' _Haha Vinnie! What Kind of name is that?'_ ** Chaos let out a dark chuckle in his head.

_'Shut up heathen.'_

**' _Okay Vinnie.._.'**

'Chaos…'

**' _No sense of humor what so ever!'_**

"Yuffie, do you require assistance getting to your quarters?"

"No, I think I'll be fine, I just gotta stop by the facilities and wash some of this blood off before I collapse into my bed. Thanks though, Vincent."

"You are welcome, Yuffie." He watched her turn and walk through the door before returning to his quarters.


	2. Memories of Da Chao

Chapter 2: Memories of Da Chao

* * *

' ** _Chaos speaking to Vinnie_ '**

_'Vincent speaking to Chaos'_

'Thinking'

"Speaking"

Yuffie returned to her room to grab a change of clothes then headed directly to one of the three small bathrooms located outside of her quarters. She walked inside and turned on the shower as hot as she could stand it, stripped out of the filthy bloodstained clothing and stepped under the hot jets of water, willing her muscles to relax. As the ninja cleansed her body, she began to think.

She thought about the unfortunate incident with the materia on the main continent of Wutai. She, Vincent and Cloud were headed north when she swiped everyone's materia, leaving them without the glowing orbs and facing Shinra soldiers.

As she played this portion of the incident over in her head, she had to wonder, what in the hell was she thinking? The people that took her along in their travels could have been killed.

She sighed as she stepped out of the shower, quickly dress and returned to her quarters to flop on the bed. Climbing under the cool sheets, she remembered how angry Vincent was when he looked at her before she ran towards Wutai.

'I'm sorry, Vincent but you wouldn't understand…I'm sorry everyone.' She ran as fast as she could, hating herself for what her father was making her do.

\--Flashback--

Since she was thirteen, she had been living on her own. Lord Godo had given his daughter her own home and basically left her to fend for herself. He claimed it as being one her 'life lessons.' Yuffie knew though, that the real reason was simply that he didn't want her constantly around him…and it was just too much for him to even have her in the same house.

This fact pained the young Yuffie Kisaragi greatly. She remembered the nights that she spent alone in the quiet house with only her father's cats to keep her company. It was on these nights that she wished her dear mother were still alive to comfort her and chase away all of her fears.

Yuffie felt warm tears trail down her cheeks at the thought of her mother. They had a picture perfect mother daughter relationship and if she had been a few years older, she and her mother could have passed for sisters. Her mother was the envy of the other women of Wutai because of her flawless beauty and ever-youthful appearance.

Yuffie had no problems talking to her mother about any problems that she had and knew that her mother would not judge her like her father would. Though she loved her father, her mother actually understood her. She was Yuffie's best friend and confidant. She was also the sole person responsible for Yuffie's mastery of the Shuriken.

When she was twelve, her mother developed a lump in her breast. The lump turned out to be malignant. Despite all of the treatments that were used to stop the progression of the cancer, nothing worked. No cure materia, full cure materia, radiation therapy or chemo stopped the rate of growth in the cancerous cells.

As the disease ravaged her mother's body rapidly, Yuffie stayed by her mothers side, sometimes going days without eating. When one of the Guardians of the pagoda forced her to eat, I was dry toast and tea, nothing more. The whole situation was tearing the young girl apart. Her once loving father became distant and it seemed he no longer loved her. Her mother deteriorated rapidly and within six months of the cancer diagnosis, her mother passed away.

Due to the fact that Yuffie had not been eating properly, her body wasted away over those months. Twelve hours her mother died, Yuffie collapsed.

Lord Godo had his daughter taken to the hospital in Wutai where she remained in a coma for three weeks while the doctors tube fed her and pumped her full of vitamins and supplements for the deficiencies that occurred during her distress. Yuffie Kisaragi flat lined twice during her period of recovery.

After she was released from the hospital, the situation with her father went downhill. No longer did they act like father and daughter, but roommates instead. There were arguments over the littlest things and Yuffie could never figure out what she had done to anger her father so.

Three weeks after the final argument, Yuffie celebrated her thirteenth birthday…without her mother. That was the day that she received her own home…

All the way on the other side of town.

.::-o-::.

A year had past and even having her that far away from him wasn't enough. Godo needed more space from the girl who reminded him of the wife he missed so deeply. He decided to send her on a quest. After thinking about what he was to do, he decided to have her become a materia hunter, and made up a story to tell Yuffie.

Yuffie was told was in order to restore Wutai to power; they needed more materia to restore the strength of the warriors that protected the Wutain people. With this explanation, Yuffie set off on her journey. After two years of stealing and searching for materia, her mischievous persona came to the foreground hiding the young teenage girl who was so stricken with grief over her mothers passing, she had died twice over. She wanted no one to see her pain.

She did not want their pity.

Yuffie began to notice around her sixteenth birthday that even with all the materia that she had been bring back to Wutai, nothing was changing except the amount of gil in her father's pocket. Though he didn't think that she noticed, she did. She knew that he was taking some of the more valuable master materia that were meant for Wutai's revival and selling them for profit.

Yuffie confronted Godo about this and he was shocked that she had noticed but that shock turned into outrage.

"How _dare_ you accuse me of something like that! I am your father and the _ruler_ of this land." Godo said, his face turning red.

"You know that its true and I'm tired of doin' this crap! And I won't anymore! I haven't spent more that three weeks home at a time in the past two YEARS because I have been out _stealing_ materia from innocent people! I nearly had my leg severed escaping a gang of rapists, now I will have to use this thing-" pointing to the metal brace that went from her hip to her knee "for the rest of my natural life or never normally walk again! This was suppose ta bring about a _change_ in Wutai, but nothin' has changed at all except the amount of gil in your account!

"You could have at least had enough respect for your own daughter and her safety to tell her the truth or send someone else. You just don't want me around because I remind you of mom!

"When I am the crowned ruler of Wutai, I will make this land and its people strong once again. I will change it from the tourist town you turned it into after the war with Shinra! We will be as great as Cosmo Canyon once again!"

Lord Godo stared at the equally red-faced Yuffie and clenched his teeth. "Yuffie Kisaragi, you will continue exactly as you have been doing until your seventeenth birthday. At that time, you will find a mate. If you do not find one before you turn eighteen, I will arrange a marriage for you to the person of _my_ choice and you _will_ be married two weeks after your eighteenth birthday such as tradition dictates. If you do not comply with my rules and terms, you will be disowned. You will have no claim to the Leadership of Wutai and will be stripped of the Kisaragi name.

"You have done nothing to earn my respect for two reasons; one, you have not won the battles against the guardians at the pagoda, and two, you have not won a great victory against an enemy both are required to earn your Ninja title and earn my respect.

"Until that day, I will treat you as the _child_ that you are." Godo turned and stormed out of his house and went to the top floor of the pagoda.

"I will beat you old man. You may be my father and though I still love you (Leviathan knows why), I will love to cream you when I take on the pagoda and my great victory will go down in Wutain history as one of the greatest ever recorded. You WILL show me the proper respect as a Ninja and as your daughter." Yuffie vowed with fists clenched.

A thin line of blood trickled down her wrist and to the floor from where her nails punctured the skin of her palm.

\--End Flashback--

She then recalled what happened after that sleazy, disgusting, old man, Don Corneo, kidnapped her. But there was one thing that she did gain from the experience, besides her renewed study of ropes, chains and other bindings…and how to escape them.

Ever since the Da Chao incident, she had been able to interpret what Vincent was feeling by looking into his eyes. He had been angry, of course…but when he finally caught up with her after being captured by Don Corneo there was something else. He had not been angry and maybe it was the sunlight on Da Chao or her eyes playing tricks on her, but he looked slightly relieved to find her first until...

"I don't care what you're doing, so much as the idiotic

way you're doing it." Vincent said to Corneo.

What he had said on Da Chao to Don Corneo had hurt her,. but when she looked into his eyes, she saw a strange mixture of emotion. She saw regret, embarrassment and anger.

He was angry that Corneo actually put his teammate in harms way and the fact that he intended to use Yuffie for sexual favors infuriated him. It looked as though he regretted what he had said and was embarrassed that those words that came out of his mouth the way that they had. It was like he hadn't meant for it to come out that way.

'Why would he regret what he said? I did steal their materia after all…' She thought.

.::-o-::.

Ever since she had met Vincent Valentine in the basement of the Shinra Mansion, she had thought that he was quite handsome. Those intense crimson eyes, strong nose, unruly raven hair that managed to escape from the blood red bandana that kept it from his face, and his tall dark appearance made her heart flutter.

'Come now Yuffie, you can't have a crush on a guy you just met ten minutes ago…grow up!' She remembered telling herself.

Since that point in her journey. she had always been aware of the feelings that were produced whenever he was near. 'Maybe this is more than just a little crush.' She thought to herself. She had never acted on those feelings because she _knew_ they would be unwelcome. If there were to be _anything_ at all between her and Vincent, he would have to initiate it.

.::-o-::.

Vincent, Cloud and Cid had defeated Corneo's flying beast. Rude freed the Turk, Elena and herself. She almost ran into Vincent's arms but after a struggle within herself scuffed the dirt with her orange shoe and murmured "Thanks Vince."

With a nod, they headed down the mountain with Cid calling her a brat and berating her the rest of the way down the mountainside. Each word stung her terribly but she would not allow herself to cry. 'I can not do this now…I will not let him see what his words are doing to me.'

'This is all Godo's Fault! They will never trust me again.' The latter was the icing on the cake, almost causing her to lose the hold she had on her tears.

.::-o-::.

What she didn't know however, was how bad Vincent felt at the punishment Cid was dealing out to her…he felt that all the name calling Cid was doing more damage the Cid knew.

But once they returned to the Tiny Bronco, she looked up at him and gave a shy smile…

.::-o-::.

"If only you knew, Vincent, If only you knew. You are not the only one who has suffered. We are more alike than you think." Yuffie said as she cried herself to sleep.

.::-o-::.

Vincent walked into his quarters and lay down on the firm mattress. He closed his eyes and began thinking about a memory that had been nagging at him for some time…

The incident at Da Chao.

She had stolen all of Avalanche's materia during the middle of their quest; it had angered a majority in the group. Barret and Cid were at the top of this list. Though he was angry at first, that anger quickly left him and was replaced by a different emotion…Worry. He was worried about the young Ninja.

The whole situation didn't seem right to him, it was almost as if she HAD to take the materia though she did not want to. Despite the fact that she currently possessed all of the materia that they had collected, deep down, he knew something dreadful was about to happen to her.

And it did.

\---Flashback---

Despite the fact that the young Ninja was absolutely deadly with her weapon, a shuriken, she, along with the female Turk, Elena was captured by the disgusting pimp of wall market, Don Corneo.

Vincent led the way, desperate to find the young ninja. With the help of Reno and Rude of the Turks, Cloud, Cid and Vincent had managed to track them to the Da Chao Mountains before splitting up to find the two missing women.

Cloud walked to the base of the mountains and turned to face the other men. "We'll split up. Rude and Reno, take the path that leads further up the mountain, Cid and I will take the ones that go towards the fire cave. Vincent if you're okay being alone, you take the remaining path."

"Lets hurry the hell up and get that lil' brat and get our fuckin' materia back!" Cid said, lighting another cigarette.

Vincent nodded and darted up the path leaving the others behind. The others watched him quickly make his way around a bend in the path and began to head up themselves at a slightly slower pace.

After a few minutes, Vincent was becoming even more agitated; there was no sign of them so far and no word from the others.

_'Chaos, I require your assistance. I need to find Yuffie quickly before she is injured or worse.'_

**' _Why should I help you, host?'_**

_'My name is Vincent and if you don't, she will get hurt!'_

**' _Fine.'_**

Vincent closed his crimson orbs and gave Chaos enough control to take over his senses but not transform completely.

_-Flash!!-_

A picture appeared behind Vincent's closed eyelids…it was the face of Da Chao. Vincent opened his eyes and sprinted up the mountainside with renewed vigor. Using a memory from when he was a child to direct him, Vincent ran straight to the area that was shown to him by Chaos.

.::-o-::.

As Vincent rounded the corner he saw the corpulent form that could only be the perverted Don Corneo. He glared at the round man as the Turks, Cloud and Cid came up behind him. Looking up, there was Yuffie…bound by ropes and struggling to get free.

Vincent turned his attention to his surrounding, looking to see if there is any way to free the two women while Cloud and Cid were talking to Corneo.

"GROSS-NESS! Don't mess with me old man! You don't even have any Materia!" Yuffie's voice broke through the men's conversation.

He began inching towards the women when Corneo started to look his way and froze…he had been following the conversation and Cloud looked over at him as if expecting him to reply.

"I don't care what you're doing, so much as the idiotic way you're doing it." Vincent said to Corneo.

Vincent looked up at Yuffie's gray eyes as the words came out of his mouth and the others went back to their conversation. 'I did not intend to sound so spiteful.' Vincent thought. He regretted the words deeply. 'I hope that it didn't hurt her too much.'

 **' _Since when did you start caring about others_** feelingsChaos said, spitting out the word 'feelings' as though it was of the vilest things to say in existence.

_'No matter what she makes people believe, she is actually very sensitive. Now leave me be Chaos.'_

Just as he had finished communicating with the demon, Corneo's 'new pet,' Rapps, attacked the trio, with Yuffie and Elena hanging upside down from the eyes of the Da Chao statue.

The battle with Rapps was over fairly quickly even without their materia. Vincent walked over to begin untying Yuffie and Elena but the Turk, Rude, had already beaten him to it.

With feet firmly planted on the ground and Don Corneo disposed of, courtesy of Reno, Yuffie stood next to Vincent. He looked over at the now obviously embarrassed and shaken teen. His sensitive ears picked up her murmured "Thanks Vince" and acknowledged he with a small nod.

On the way down the mountain, she was called almost every name in the book by one Cid Highwind. Though she did not show it, he saw that each word cut through her like a knife. He watched her every move and saw the slight slump of her shoulders and the hitched breaths she drew. It was almost as if she was trying to hold back tears.

'Even when injured, I have never seen Yuffie shed one tear…I will find out what she is hiding.' He silently vowed to himself as the boarded the Tiny Bronco.

Cid and Cloud were seated in plane and starting the engine when Yuffie turned to Vincent and gave him a shy smile.

'I still don't know how she does that…'

**' _Me neither…the little one has strength._ '**

"Remarkable." He whispered to himself.

\---End Flashback---

Vincent's thoughts were broken when he heard muffled sobs coming through the wall between their quarters. 'She hides her emotions well.' He thought to himself.

No one else in Avalanche, except the recently departed Aeris and maybe Tifa, seemed to think that the young Yuffie Kisaragi had any sort of personality besides that of the smug, thieving, brat persona that she wore to mask her true pain. There was much more to this young ninja than she allowed anyone to see…but if they had bothered, they would see so much more.

The thought that she was hiding her true self so deeply made Vincent sympathize with her. He was a professional at hiding his true emotions from the world. He didn't like idea of her shutting down so completely that she showed no emotion at all.

He did not want her to become like him.

Chaos had a point though. Why did he care so much about Yuffie?

Maybe because of the way that she chose to hide her sorrow while the other's in Avalanche had no problems with expressing their frustration, anger and sorrow. Never once had he seen her lose her temper, cry out when in pain, or express her sadness openly.

It made him wonder, how many times has she gone off by herself and just cried? She must have been bottling up the emotions that she didn't want others to see for years. How much longer could this brave Ninja keep up this façade without a proper outlet?

And thought no one else realized it, she does actually care for her teammates. She is always the first one to use her cure materia or potions when someone was injured. When things would get too depressing, she would try to lighten things up and motivate the others when things were not looking so bright. She was a mature young woman; it's just that her protective façade that she had conjured up had hidden this fact.

.::-o-::.

There was once again silence coming from the room next to his. 'She must have fallen asleep.'

'Someone so young, vibrant and beautiful should not have to deal with burdens such as the ones she is carrying. She should not have to hide who she really is.'

'Wait. Beautiful? Where did that come from?' He thought as his brow furrowed. Was it true? Did he actually care for her in a way that was more than one would treat a comrade?

He could not think about that right now. Soon would arrive at the falls that his beloved Lucrecia had made her home.

Vincent closed his eyes thinking about his approaching visit with the woman who had stolen his heart and soon fell asleep. There were no nightmares this day, only an extremely confusing dream of his dear Lucy and another smiling female figure that he could not make out, on a bluff overlooking the ocean.


	3. Forgiveness and Living

* * *

Chapter 3: Forgiveness and Living

* * *

(same tags apply as in Chapter 1)

"Attention, Attention, We will be arriving at our next destination in five minutes…"

Vincent's eyes slowly opened. His usual nightmares had not plagued him during their journey to the falls. He was replaying the usual dream over in his head and trying to focus on the figure his Lucy's side.

A soft knock sounded at his door. "Hey Vinnie, are ya up?" Came Yuffie's small voice through the door.

"Yes Yuffie, come in." He replied while closing the clasp on the high collar of his cloak.

She poked her head through the door to make sure she wasn't interrupting anything and walked into his small quarters. "Hey, do you mind if I rode with you to the falls? I have to get off this ship for a while. When I'm asleep, my motion sickness doesn't bother me, but when I'm awake…urk…it's starting again…" The ninja turned slightly green as the ship bucked lightly.

"No, I don't mind. I think Cloud is going also; he wanted to look around the area surrounding the falls. He should be on his way to the Chocobo stables now." He said as he stood.

"I'm ready if you are." Yuffie said as she walked out of the door.

Indeed, Cloud was already at the stables feeding Kira a green. The beautiful gold was just one of the three that Yuffie had bred. "Yuffs, you're coming along for the ride also?" He looked at her and saw the green tint to her skin. "motion sickness getting to you again? It'll do you some good go get out for awhile then." He said taking the Chocobo by the reins.

"Yeah, the sooner we get off this flying deathtrap the better…" She mumbled before mounting Kira.

Cloud had already prepped Yoshi and Tiko, the two male Chocobos. Both and he and Vincent hopped on as they felt the Highwind land. Yuffie gave a slight groan at the jolt and directed Kira out of the ship once the cargo door was opened with Vincent and Cloud following.

.::-o-::.

They made good time on the way to the falls. Yuffie had done an excellent job breeding these swift golden Chocobos. All three were S class and were very will mannered. They hopped off their mounts and Vincent tied their reins to a nearby tree. Though they were good mannered and would stay in the area, he would rather have been safe than sorry.

Vincent, Cloud and Yuffie followed the sand around the small lake to the area that would allow them access to the small cavern behind the waterfall that housed Vincent's beloved.

"Cloud, Yuffie, will you please wait out here for me to return?" Vincent asked in a soft tone.

"Sure thing Vinnie!! We'll wait for ya!" The young ninja gave an encouraging grin. She was already feeling much better now that she was off of the Highwind.

Inwardly, Vincent gave a small smile and nodded at the young woman then turned and walked through the entrance behind the falls. Even though the water was pouring down behind him, the cavern was strangely quiet.

He walked over to the source of the soft blue glow that lit the cavern. There was a slight hum emanating from the formations of pure mako as he ran his gloved finger down the center crystal.

"Lucrecia, are you still here?"

"Vincent…you've returned."

The weak reply came from behind him. Whipping his head around, there was his beautiful Lucrecia floating inches from the ground.

"Are you alright?" He asked, worried at how weak she sounded.

"The Lifestream is calling me. I am using the last of my strength to see you one last time."

A pain looked formed on Vincent's usually expressionless face as he walked over to her slightly transparent form. "Lucy I-"

"I know Vincent, I know…" She placed a cool finger to his lips silencing him. "I love you too and I know what you had to and what you will do.

"While you did nothing wrong all those years ago, I know you will continue berating yourself about not being able to help me. You seek forgiveness from me, so I do forgive you, though you have never needed it. You have never harmed nor wronged me in any way. Because of what you and your comrades have done, I feel that I can finally rest knowing that Hojo will never harm another living being on the planet.

"Getting involved with Hojo was greatest mistake that I have ever made. I overlooked your love for the lies that Hojo told me. He said that he loved me…" A tear escaped her eye and Vincent rubbed it away with his thumb. "I know now that it was a lie. He only wanted my body. He cared nothing for my heart. I was blind and didn't see that I was truly loved by you. In mind, body and soul.

"My sin is that I allowed him to violate me like that and I…" She began weeping openly now. "Allowed him to treat me and the gift that I was given, my wonderful, beautiful baby boy; as an experiment. You were the only person there for me when I went into labor. You tried to help but Hojo prevented you from taking me to get medical attention and shot you for it. For this, I am truly sorry."

"No Lucy, I should have tried harder to protec-"

"Vincent, No. This was my doing. I should have been stronger. I should have told him no, but I allowed him to do it. The Jenova that was injected into me is what has kept me here, in limbo…not quite alive, but not dead either, to spend the rest of my days confined to this cave. The cells of Jenova began slowly dying four years ago because I did not get the complete treatment that you, the soldier, Cloud or my poor Sephiroth did. I feel now that I will finally be at peace.

"I know what must happen to my son and though it pains me, I know that I will truly meet him in the Lifestream. I will finally get to hold my son. Do not feel guilty and do not take this upon yourself as another sin. I will not allow you to."

A shuddering breath escaped her lips and her eyes were pleading with him. "Vincent, please know that this was never your fault. You only tried to help me and I was the one who caused you pain. If I had accepted your love like I should have, you, Sephiroth and myself would not be in the positions that we are currently in. Sephiroth would have been your son and would have grown up with two loving parents and all the support that a child needs.

"I know that you love me, and know this always; I love you too, but Vince, please move on. I do not want to see you spend the rest of your days alone and atoning for sins that you did not commit."

Vincent looked away towards the Mako crystals. "What woman could ever love a monster like me…"

"Vincent, you are _NOT_ a monster! Beneath your stoic demeanor, that emotionless visage that you use, you are the most kind, caring and loving person that I have ever known. You are handsome, strong and more of a man that any male that I have ever known! There is someone who cares for you and she is closer than you think. You will know by her smile."

Vincent moved forward and enveloped Lucrecia in a hug and buried his face on her shoulder letting the tears go for the first time in more than thirty years.

"Vincent. It's time…" She whispered and placed a small hand under his chin, lifting his gaze to hers. Lucrecia unbuttoned his cloak, letting it fall to the floor to form a blood red pool of fabric at his feet. "Despite the outward differences that the two of you will have, when that person comes along, please do not push her away. You have both suffered greatly in your lives and you both deserve to be truly happy. I _know_ you will make each other very happy."

Gently she placed her lips to his in one final passionate kiss that left him breathless.

"Be happy Vincent and smile for her…for me."

Her appearance began to fade he watched as her lips began to move… "I love you." Though soundless, the gunman heard her words loud and clear.

Vincent picked up the cloak, draped it over his arm before walking back to where the water was pouring at the entrance to the cave. He came to a stop, and turned to the empty cave…and smiled.

"Goodbye Lucrecia. May you soon find what you have wished to possess for the past thirty years, in the Lifestream. The chance to be with your son."

.::-o-::.

Vincent walked out of the cavern and was met by sunshine. Cloud was asleep with his forearm over his eyes to block the sun and snoring on the sand fifteen yards away. Yuffie sitting closer to the entrance and was writing in Wutainese script in the slightly damp sand with a twig, not noticing Vincent's silent approach.

Glancing at the sand, he saw his name written in the beautiful Wutainese characters along with one other word stood out to him before Yuffie noticed his presence. She casually covered the words up with the surrounding sand.

Yuffie was not worried about Vincent reading what she had written in the sand. Reading Wutain characters was not an easy task and it had been a very long time since he had read Wutainese. The brief glance was not enough for him to completely decipher it.

But there was something that no one knew about Vincent Valentine…

The name, smooth pale skin, penetrating crimson eyes, and the ever so slight accent said that he was from elsewhere on their small planet. The truth was however, that Vincent Valentine was in fact Wutain and had spent the first nine years of his life playing at the foot of Da Chao. Hojo's alterations and being locked in a dark basement had drained most of the once warm golden color from his skin and change his eye color. This gave him the vampire-like appearance, sans fangs.

.::-o-::.

Yuffie glanced up at Vincent and her jaw dropped. She must be hallucinating. Vincent was smiling and he was not wearing his cloak! She closed her eyes and looked up again… 'I'm not crazy, he is smiling and still no cloak!' She thought to herself as a smile lit up her face.

Yuffie knew there was more to this dark man than there appeared to be. She knew a little about Vincent's history with the lovely brown haired woman who lived in this cave from their last visit. She also knew that he had emotions despite what some of the other members of Avalanche said or thought. She was able to interpret the emotions that Vinnie had just by looking at his eyes.

"How are ya Vinnie? You were in there for a while…" She asked quietly so she wouldn't wake up Cloud. The stormy eyed girl was slightly afraid that asking him would cause him to shut down and retreat behind the emotionless mask that he had worn their entire journey.

He sat down next to her on the sand and sat the cloak down next to him. He was quiet but had not shut down.

"You can talk to me if you need to Vinnie, maybe it'll make you feel better." Yuffie said showing the maturity that was hidden beneath her carefree and happy frontage.

"…We said goodbye. The Jenova cells finally died and allowed her to join the Lifestream. She has forgiven me and wants me to continue living my life and no longer atone for sins that I did not commit."

Yuffie was quiet for a moment before reached over and taking his claw in her in her small hands. Vincent was shocked at her action, but did not let it show on his face. 'How could she touch this vile appendage?' He thought to himself.

.::-o-::.

Yuffie could tell that he was surprised…his eyes widened almost imperceptibly and she gave him a warm smile. He had surprised her when he spoke…she had never heard him say so much at one time.

His claw didn't bother her and she had never had a chance to touch it before. In the past, she didn't want to upset or offend the gunman by touching him. In it's own way, it was quite captivating. Not one speck of rust or area of tarnished metal marred the deep gold prosthetic. It was a little strange to her to fell that the claw was warm to the touch, as a human hand would be. 'Probably because of the wiring in it' She mused.

'Yes it is quite captivating…just like the man attached to it.'

' _Whoa!_ Where did _that_ come from?!'

Mentally, she filed that away to think about later, right now, she wanted to think about the man sitting next to her.

"I'm sorry to hear that she's gone. I could tell how much she meant to you and I know what its like to lose someone you love."

He noticed sadness in her eyes. It was as though she had gone through something similar in her life. "Thank you, Yuffie." He said placing his human hand on top of hers for a moment.

"So what are ya gonna do now?"

"I am going to try to do as she suggested and live. It might take me a while but hopefully I can learn to enjoy the things I did in the past."

"Good to hear it Vinnie. Well, if ya wanna talk, you know where my spot is on the Highwind when I'm not asleep." She said with a wink and a smirk as he nodded.

"Are ya ready to go Vinnie?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I'll wake Cloud." Slowly, she crawled over to Cloud with an almost feline grace as Vincent watched, buttoning the collar of his cloak.

Yuffie bent down near Cloud's head and…

"CLOUD!!!" She shouted.

"AHHH!!" He sat up quickly and glared at her as she gave him an innocent smile.

Vincent smiled under the collar of his cloak but was cracking up with laughter on the inside. His mental laughter died slowly but a warm smile remained as he remember two of the three words the teenager had written in the sand; both were names but he didn't know what context they were used in…the third word was missing.

The two that he saw however were his name; Vincent, and her name; Yuffie.


	4. Layover

* * *

Chapter 4: Layover

* * *

(same tags apply as in Chapter 1)

Vincent walked Tiko back to the stables and returned to the deck. He gripped the railing as the wind blew his raven locks wildly. The stoic gunman watched the ground become further and further away as they gained altitude and headed to Cosmo Canyon.

With Cait Sith's help, Tifa had completed the inventory and they were in dire need of new supplies. They were either completely out of (or close to it) of everything from food to potions and ethers.

With the ample amount of gil the group had collected after the hundreds of battles they had fought, he knew that soon they would be properly stocked and on their way once again. Vincent found that being out on the deck gave him time to think. Usually, no one came out there to disturb him unless it was an urgent matter and right now, he needed a few moments to himself before returning to his quarters.

The gunman felt more at peace than he had in the past thirty years. The person that had supposedly loved and had caused so much pain to his dear Lucrecia, had perished by his hands. He felt a sense of closure knowing that all the people that had been wronged by the insane scientist had been avenged.

Vincent knew that he would always love Lucrecia and she would always occupy a place in his heart. She was at peace now and he would honor her wishes and learn to live each day to its fullest and grab each new opportunity as they came. There would be no more atoning for the sins that he though he had committed.

Part of him also knew that this would mean letting the concept of 'friends' to once again be incorporated into his life. He had been with the people who freed him from his confinement in the Shinra Mansion for a little over two months and in this time, had only made conversation, outside of his normal one or two word answers, to Nanaki and now, Yuffie.

Just yesterday, he would have not allowed these people to be nothing more than acquaintances, but now realized that this term did not quite fit the mismatched group. While he already considered the wise quadruped, Nanaki, a friend, where did the others stand?

'Where does Yuffie stand?' He thought to himself wondering what the eccentric young woman thought of him.

"Everyone up and at'em! Get yer asses up and ready to leave my damn ship, we're at the canyon. We're staying for four days so get what yer gonna need and hightail it to the briefing room in ten minutes!" Cid's voice came through the intercom several decibels louder than necessary.

Vincent shook his head at the foul mouth pilot and returned to his quarters.

.::-o-::.

Ten minutes later, everyone was gathered in the briefing room and were seated in the chairs placed around the large table. Tifa sat across from Barret, Cid across from Red, Cait Sith stood near a wall and Yuffie sat across from Vincent. Cloud stood at the head of the table and began the briefing.

"You all know that we are here to restock, but we all need to take a break. Everyone has fought extremely well and the fatigue is beginning to show. Please take this brief layover to rest.

"Tifa, Barret and I have learned of the location of the ancient forest from Nanaki. One of our destinations is only accessible by Gold Chocobo so we will be taking Kira, Tiko and Yoshi tomorrow at sunrise and should arrive by 9:00 am. There's said to be items that would be of considerable help in our final battle with Jenova and Sephiroth, that were left behind by the Cetra who once resided there."

"We have also learned of the location of the most powerful summon known to mankind. Like the Mime, HP/MP switch, and Quadra magic materias Yuffie and Vincent found," he said gesturing to the two. "The location has remained unknown for hundreds of years, but according to the text that Bugenhagen found, the cave does exist."

Vincent glanced over at Yuffie as this was said. At the mere mention of such powerful materia, her interest should have at least been piqued like the reaction of the others, but there was nothing. She did not even raise her eyes from her hands, which were folded on the tabletop.

'Something is definitely wrong with Yuffie. It is not like her to be so subdued. Also, this further proves my assumptions that she does not care for materia like everyone believes.' He thought to himself.

"We still haven't figured out what the true and proper use of the Health/Magic switch materia, but I know that the summon materia that we will search for will be invaluable to us when we find it."

"Yeah, if we can keep it ya mean. Hopefully the brat doesn't take the materia like she did last time." Barret partially joked with a fake glare pointed at the ninja. The group had forgiven her, but some were still apprehensive to the thought of her having access to their stores of materia.

These words cut through Yuffie like a knife, but she would not show it. 'Do no lose control Yuffie.' She thought and instead, looked up to Barret and smirked at him, but said nothing. She did not trust her voice at the moment.

.::-o-::.

As soon as Barret had spoken, Vincent looked at Yuffie and for a fleeting moment saw her control slip. He saw the pain that she felt in her eyes and it looked as though it had torn her apart. Yuffie pasted a fake smirk and the let it fall as soon as the attention was turned away from her.

'How could Barret not see how much that pained her?' It angered him that even though it was meant as a jest, he could tell that Barret was slightly serious. That had happened weeks ago and after everything, she had returned with them and apologized to everyone repeatedly.

' ** _You of all people should know, Vincent. Most people only see what is on the surface and don't care to look deeper. To them, what is foremost is that fact that she is a thief and a child_**

_'Chaos, when did you decide to begin observing and analyzing people?'_

Chaos grunted in response. _' **Most humans are easy to read, but this young one is different. There is something about her that intrigues me.** '_

 _'So Chaos, you like Yuffie, don't you?'_ Vincent chuckled at the demon..

' ** _… …_** ' Chaos grunted but did not reply and Vincent focused his attention back on Cloud.

"…Cid, you and Red will be responsible for getting our supplies. The rest of you can get whatever personal items you need. We should return by the third day so that Tifa, Barret and I can have a short break."

"No problem Cloud, I'll just call those damn bums I call a fuckin' crew on the PHS and make them lug and store all the supplies back on the Highwind." Cid said with a slight grin. Sometimes it paid to be in charge.

"Well everyone, your free to go…you have all day to do what you want, just meet back at the Cosmo Candle at nightfall." The ex-SOLDIER said as he walked out of the room with the others following.

Yuffie however, did not budge and was still staring at her folded hands. Vincent watched her; she was oblivious to the fact that they were the only two remaining in the room. The dark gunslinger walked around the table, sat in the chair next to her, and folded his hands on the table still looking at Yuffie. The fact that he was able to sit right next to her and she had not even noticed him worried him even more.

He looked at the seat next to him. "Yuffie?"

She gave a slight jump and looked at him, then looked around the room finally noticing everyone had gone. "Yes Vince, did ya need something?" She asked quietly looking up at his claret orbs. 'Gods, his eyes are gorgeous.' She thought to herself, yet didn't mentally reprimand her wandering mind.

"Yuffie, something is disturbing you deeply and though the others have not noticed at all, I have. I was wondering if you would like to…talk about it?" Vincent asked, slightly nervous.

Yuffie looked up at Vincent with the shock obvious on her face. The final visit with his beloved had changed this tormented man. In lending an ear to her, he was just taking the first steps to living a 'normal' life.

For the first time in a long time, Yuffie let out a full, honest smile filled with warmth. She honestly did appreciate this stoic man around. She _knew_ she was right in thinking that there was more to this man. Once again, that familiar flutter returned deep inside her chest but with renewed vigor.

"Vincent, thank you for the offer. I…uh, don't want to impose on you-"

"Yuffie, it would not be an imposition. I would like to help you even if you simply want someone to listen. Will you be free at 10:30 tonight? If so, I will meet you at the candle."

"Are you sure Vincent?"

"If I was not sure, I would not have asked you."

"Okay. I will see you there tonight. It should be fairly quiet tonight."

"I will see you there." Vincent said with a nod. He stood and started for the door.

"Vincent!"

He turned around to Yuffie as she walked over to him and quickly wrapped her arms around his waist in a quick hug. His arms came up and she thought he was going to push her away so her body stiffened slightly, however, she was stunned to feel his arms lightly wrap around her small form. 'Gods that feels good…he feels good…' she thought. "Thank you for everything."

Vincent himself was at a lost for what to do for a moment, but for some odd reason, the embrace did not feel awkward to him to have this young woman who was full of life, hugging someone like him. He gave a small smile when he felt her body stiffen against his. No doubt, he had surprised her as he enclosed her in his arms.

'Her smile is stunning…wait…her smile?' This would certainly require some thought later.

"There is no need to thank me," he said and slightly hesitated when he went to release her. "I will see you later."

"Bye Vince."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> o-o-Author's Notes-o-o
> 
> In the game, Vincent can get Chaos in disk two. You can also do Yuffie's side quest in disk two. In my file, Vinnie did have Chaos during that whole event.


	5. Sunset

* * *

Chapter 5: Sunset

* * *

(Same tags apply as in Chapter 1)

Yuffie walked around Cosmo Canyon looking at the merchandise in the various shops and boutiques but not quite seeing anything. She was on autopilot. There were just too many feelings and thoughts floating around her jumbled mind.

The main thing that had occupied her mind was the handsome, dark gunslinger.

She walked up to the observatory and climbed to the top floor. Opening the window in the spartan room, she climbed out and pulled herself to the top of the dome-shape structure. The view from here was absolutely beautiful. It reminded her of her thinking spot deep in the mountains of her homeland. During her brief stints at home, she would go to her spot to collect her thoughts.

As she watched the citizens and guest of the canyon milled about below her perch like ants, she couldn't help but wonder what Vincent was doing. 'If I know Vincent, he has his own area that he uses when he needs to be alone from the last time we were here.'

She has always thought of Vincent as being extremely strong, both physically and mentally. How many people could survive for years in a coffin, being plagued by constant nightmares and still have all their marbles? One can only imagine what kinds of dreams he had while locked away as time passed him by.

'If I went through that, I think I would just loose it.' She thought.

Vincent gave of an aura of power and intelligence. It gave her the impression that he could fight a hundred battles and never tire or speak on any subject you could throw at him at great length.

When people looked at _her_ they would always say 'she's just a child. She knows nothing about nothing. 'They,' however, would be wrong. As part of her ninja training, her mother made sure she excelled in all areas of study. Her mother would say, "You never know when that one trivial fact, or one small math equation could come in handy."

It was true too. There had been times during her materia journey where her knowledge she gained from her science courses prevented her from eating something poisonous while out of gil for food. Or when she was using her geography and topography skills when she had ended up in rugged mountainous areas while running from a group she had just stolen from.

But no one saw this. No one _wanted_ to see this. And that hurt her.

He probably didn't realize it, but at times, she envied him. At those times when her emotions threatened to overrun her, she wish that she could hide them behind an impenetrable mask like he did. Today on the Highwind was a good example of that.

How many times would she have to say sorry before they believed her? Taking their materia was not something that she wanted to do, but something she HAD to do.

'I can't allow anyone to see the real me. They would just think that I'm some weak little brat who can't hold their own. Who would cry at the drop of a dime. They would all laugh…'

On a few occasions during their journey, she had found herself thinking of Vincent. He was just her type: tall, dark and extremely handsome. All of those years in that coffin did nothing to his physical appearance. Vincent was tall and muscular, but not overly so. The slightly baggy black pants, button up shirt, and blood colored cloak, hid his athletic form, making others think that he was quite frail. His hair looked like a curtain of the highest quality black silk threads.

The thing that attracted her to him the most was his eyes. When she got the chance, she loved to steal a quick peek at those beautiful red irises. She had learned to tell so much just by looking in his eyes. 'I wonder what love would look like coming from those eyes…'

To her, he was perfect. He had the looks of a god and deep down; she knew that he had a heart of gold.

.::-o-::.

Yuffie closed her eyes deep mind processing thoughts and questions at a furious pace. Vincent was still first and foremost in her mind. Suddenly her eyes snapped open. Though she had known this for some time on a subconscious level, this was the first time that she actually had admitted it to herself…

'I love him…'

"Aeris was right." she said to herself with a voice thick with sorrow.

Gods how she missed the sweet flower girl. Aeris was the only one that even bothered with her. Though she though of both Tifa and Aeris as sisters and loved them dearly, her bond with Aeris was much stronger. While moving from destination to destination, she and Aeris would spend their nights on watch talking and doing sisterly things.

She remembered one night in particular and would never forget it. Yuffie was sitting in front of Aeris and she braided her hair when Vincent walked into camp after spending time alone. He acknowledged the two girls and walked to his tent. Yuffie didn't realize it, but her eye had followed Vincent's progress across the campsite and only left him once he was inside his tent.

\---Flashback---

"Yuff?'' Aeris said starting another braid.

"Yep, Aer?"

"Do you like anyone?"

Yuffie tried to turn around to look at Aeris but she turned Yuffie's head back forward so she could finish the braid. "You mean like as in 'crush' or like as in 'love'?"

"I mean like as in love."

"No." Yuffie answered quickly.

"Are you sure?" Aeris said slightly drawing out the last word.

"Yes, why?"

"What do you think of Vincent?"

"He's a little quiet, but I think he's a decent guy."

"Hmmm…"

"What?"

Aeris giggled.

"What is it and what are you laughing at?"

"I think you love Vincent." She said with a knowing grin.

"I DO NOT!" Yuffie said quickly as the color rose in her cheeks.

"Yes you do, and pretty soon you will realize how much." Aeris stood after finishing the last braid. Just as Yuffie was about to reply, Cloud emerged from his tent and Tifa from the tent next to his.

"Well, you two can head off to bed, we'll see you in the morning." Tifa said as she added a log to the fire.

\--End Flashback--

"Why did you have to leave, Aeris?" She laid back on he roof with her head pillowed on her arms as she spoke, looking at the sun that was beginning to set. "There was so much more I wanted to do with you. I hope you know how much I miss you and know that I will always love you…sis."

As Yuffie closed her eyes to delve further into her thoughts, a crystalline tear slid down her cheek.

.::-o-::.

As Yuffie was walking past the booths and shops of the canyon, Vincent began the short journey to the place where he went to think. He walked past the weapons shop and up the flight of stairs to the switch that would allow him access to the Gi Caves.

He had accidentally found this location while accompanying Nanaki and Bugenhagen to the spot where Seto, Nanaki's father and the warrior of Cosmo Canyon fought his last battle.

He and Cloud gave Nanaki some time alone while his grandfather told him the true story of his father. While exploring the area around the exit of the caves, Vincent stumbled upon a high perch that allowed him a view of the entire canyon.

The journey to 'his spot' was not a difficult one. The beasts of the cave were weak and he quickly made his way to the exit of the cave. He looked up to the small cliff where the petrified body of Seto stood proud and gave a small bow of respect and reached his spot soon after.

Vincent sat on the edge of the small perch and closed his eyes trying to clear his mind. Many confusing emotions and thoughts were sifted into a somewhat semblance of order. He relished these rare moments of peace that he got after clearing his mind. Not even the fact that he had four demons residing in his subconscious bothered him at times like this.

He began going over the thoughts that had clouded his thinking as of late. The first and foremost being…

"Yuffie."

'You know you like the girl, so just get on with it and tell her.'

'Actually Chaos, I'm not quite sure of what it is exactly that I feel for her.'

Vincent knew that he felt closer to the ninja now than he had throughout the journey. He knew that he considered her a friend, but was there more to it than that? There was so much he wanted to know about this young woman and hoped that she would tell him.

Vincent admired Yuffie greatly. He knew that the mischievous personality that she displayed was only a minuscule glimpse of the 'real Yuffie.' It was like she was holding a magnifying glass over that portion of herself, allowing that to overshadow everything else. He believed that the beautiful young woman should not feel so alone. He would be there for her and would do anything in his power to help her.

He found himself again admiring her physical strength. Yuffie was only sixteen but fought like she had been since before she learned to walk. He had always wondered who was the person responsible for teaching her to be so graceful and yet so deadly when necessity called for it. The only other person that he though so highly of was Lucrecia.

That fact made him feel guilty.

One thing that he noticed about young Miss Kisaragi is that she hated killing anything. He had seen her mumble a few words of prayer from time to time when she was the person who had to deliver the deathblow. He knew that writings of the great serpent god, Leviathan taught her that every life is precious, no matter how insignificant or sentient.

He knew that even with her excellent skills, she could still become critically injured. It was a fact that they all faced on their quest. One so full of life should live a long life, not have it ended before it began. He didn't want her life to end so early like it did for the innocent Aeris.

'I will do everything in my power to make sure she is safe.' He vowed.

**'It would be tragic if her life should become forfeit. Host Vincent, You have my word that should the time arise, I will do anything in my power to prevent serious harm from coming to her.'**

Vincent was a little shock about how vocal Chaos was being about Yuffie's safety. He was also grateful.

'Thank you, Chaos. I never expected to hear something like that from you.'

 ** _'I am just full of surprises.'_** The sarcastic demon replied.

Vincent gave an evil smirk. _'So Chaos, you DO like her…'_

His comment was met with utter silence from the demon and he laughed. It was almost as if Chaos was embarrassed.

Vincent sobered as his thoughts went back to two women that he had lost recently. 'Aeris, if you are listening, I hope you get a chance to meet my dear Lucrecia. You would have liked her.' He said with a small sigh.

The ache was still deep in his chest, but he knew that she was finally at peace. It would take time, but eventually he would be able to look back on his memories of her and only see the happier times that they shared together.

He closed his eyes once again to clear his thoughts.

"Vincent…" A voice brought him out of his light meditation.

"Aeris? Is that you? How are you speaking to me?" he asked, slightly startled and confused. He looked around, but no one was there.

_'Chaos, I'm not going crazy, am I?'_

**_'Maybe…you never know. But if it helps, I hear it too_ **

"It's me Vincent…and no, you are not going crazy." Aeris said with a laugh. "With the help of the planet, I am able to communicate with certain people for short periods of time."

"I thought all Cetra went to the Promised Land after death. Isn't that what is suppose to have happened after what occurred in the forgotten city?" It was good to speak with her again. While this was highly unusual, he would not question her about how she was doing it any further.

"I asked the planet to if I could remain in the Lifestream for the time being. I want to do everything in my power to stop the meteor that Sephiroth has summoned."

Vincent nodded at this.

"I have a favor to ask of you, Vincent. I have three messages that I need to give you. One is for you and the other, for Yuffie and the final one, for Tifa."

He remained quiet, intrigued at what Aeris had to say.

"The message for you is from Lucrecia. She and I have talked since she arrived and I know how much you mean to her. And you're right; I do enjoy spending time with her.

"She wanted to let you know how proud she is of you. She wanted me to tell you that she knows that you feel guilty about the feelings that you are experiencing and thoughts you are having. Do not. She wants you to be happy.

"The person of whom she spoke to you of will need your help in the coming weeks. Please be open, honest, and understanding with her when the time comes."

At this he felt a warm sensation in his chest. He was grateful to know that she was supporting him during this change in his life.

"Aeris, please tell her thank you when you return." He said quietly.

"Oh, I will Vincent. I must hurry now. My time is growing short. The message for Yuffie is from me. Please tell her that I am proud and honored to be her sister. Tell her that I will always be watching over her. I hope she finds happiness in what the future shall bring her and not to deny what her heart is telling her." Her voice was thick with emotion.

"Also, tell Yuffie 'I told ya so.' She will know what that means." She said with amusement.

"Tell Tifa to let Cloud know how she feels soon. Tell her to not follow her mother's path and wait to tell him as she did with her father. Also tell her not to worry about him not feeling the same way. Don't forget to be there for your sister.

"I would have told Yuffie myself but she has so much she needs to focus on at this moment, I didn't want to interrupt her. I will try to communicate with her when this is all over. It takes a lot of energy from both the planet and myself. The planet will be stronger when you manage to stop Sephiroth." She said, her voice beginning to fade.

"Thank you Aeris. You are a good friend and you are missed greatly by everyone…and myself."

"Goodbye Vincent, in the future, you should ask Yuffie about a conversation we had while on watch."

"I will…Goodbye, dear Aeris."

Vincent closed his eyes as the sun began to set.

**'I guess you're not crazy…you can just talk to dead Cetra.'**

'Quiet, you sarcastic heathen.'

**' _Fine then. Be that way…Vinnie…'_ Chaos snickered.**

"Chaos…" Vincent said with a low growl as he stood to return to the village.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> o-o-Author's Notes-o-o
> 
> I am sorry if this chapter seems a bit confusing but these are the thoughts of Vinnie and Yuffie.


	6. Your Secret is Safe With Me, Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> o-o-Author's Notes-o-o
> 
> Sorry! Had to break this chapter into two parts.

* * *

Chapter 6: Your Secret Is Safe With Me (Part 1)

* * *

(Same tags apply as in Chapter 1)

Vincent exited the Gi Caves and made sure the access button was locked. As he started for the stairs he heard someone descending from the ladder that led to the observatory. About halfway down the ladder someone hopped of the ladder and land firmly at its base.

"Hey Vinnie, you headed to the candle?"

"Yes, would you like walk with me?" He said, covertly studying her slightly red eyes.

She smiled up at him "Sure, seein' that we're headed to the same place anyway. Lets go so we can get there early." She said as she lightly pulled him through the door.

He nodded and allowed himself to be led out the door.

"So did you have any luck with whatever it was you were thinkin' 'bout?" she asked him with a sidelong glance.

"Yes, actually I did manage to work out a few things. Will you still me meeting me tonight?" he asked as they approached the candle.

"Yep, wouldn't miss it." She said as she stepped on the raised platform, which held the flame. The rest of Avalanche was making their approach and finding seats around the flame.

Vincent sat on the ground with his long legs folded under him. Yuffie sat next to him with her knees drawn up and encircled in her arms. Two pairs of eyes watched the flames, storm gray and crimson watched the flames dance simply enjoying each others company as the others found seats around the flame.

With everyone seated, Nanaki began. "I trust that everyone has had enough time to explore the village. I have taken the liberty of reserving rooms for everyone at the inn and all meals are free at the restaurant located there, courtesy of the innkeeper. Cait Sith will be staying with me at the observatory. If you cannot find something you need, please let one of the shopkeepers know and they will order it for you.

There were various 'thanks you's' said from around the campfire.

"Thanks for arranging that Nanaki." Cloud said, looking at Nanaki "We really appreciate the generosity shown to us by the people here."

"I promise you all, this won't take long. I know we could all use some shuteye. As, you already know, Tifa, Barret and I will head out it the morning, in the event of emergency, you can contact us by PHS. Cid, how are our supplies looking?"

Cid took his cigarette out of his mouth and flicked the ashes in a paper cup. "We got pretty much all the shit we needed. There are a few items that had to be shipped from Gongaga and Gold Saucer, but they should be here in a few days. As for everything else, I had the dumb asses I call a crew haul it back to the Highwind to be stored. I also told them to do a double check to make sure that we didn't miss anything."

"Good. I brought separate supplies for the three of us who are leaving tomorrow so we don't diminish our stores on the ship. When we return, we will decide exactly what our next steps will be. We still have the weapon that's flying around out there. For the past few days it has not caused any problems however, If you do get reports of it attacking, call us on the PHS and go after it.

"Well, that's all I can think of for now. We should all turn in pretty soon, its almost 9:15. I'm gonna stay out for a little longer, but you are welcome leave." Cloud said as he lay back next to the candle staring at the stars.

Everyone began their own conversation with exception to Yuffie, who was content to just set next to the gunslinger and Tifa who watched Cloud out of the corner of her eye a few feet away from Tifa. He decided now would be a good time to give Tifa her message from Aeris.

"Yuffie, would you excuse me for a moment? I have to talk to Tifa briefly."

"Sure Vince."

Vincent stood and walked the short distance to Tifa. "May I?" He asked Tifa before he sat.

She looked shocked that this quiet man, who barely spoke to anyone, was asking to sit next to her. "Sure, Vincent," she gestured to the ground beside her. "What's up?" The conversation continued around them.

"Well, I received a message that I was told to give to you. The person could not contact you directly and told me to relay it to you." He said, looking into the flames.

She looked over at the stoic man. 'He is being a little more cryptic than usual.' She thought.

"Who's it from? Why couldn't they contact me directly?" She asked a little curious.

"Aeris." He said bluntly.

"WHAT?!?" She screamed. All conversation stopped around them and even Cloud turned his head to look at them.

"Sorry guys." Tifa said sheepishly.

There was a brief moment of silence, then the conversation started up again.

"How was she able to contact you and not anyone else?" She said quietly, not wanting the other to overhear their conversation.

"She said that with the planet's help, she can contact certain people for a short amount of time. She regrets that she wasn't able to tell you herself." He explained.

Tifa looked thoughtful for a moment, and then looked up at Vincent. "I wish she could have contacted me also…I miss her so much." She said with a heavy voice.

"She said 'Tell Tifa to let Cloud know how she feels soon. Tell her to not follow her mother's path and wait to tell him as she did with her father. Also tell her not to worry about him not feeling the same way. Don't forget to be there for your sister.'"

After a few moments of silence Vincent spoke. "She said you would know what that means."

Tifa looked to the sky her eyes shining bright with tears. "Thank you Vincent. I know that it must have been uncomfortable for you to talk to me since you don't like to talk and all."

Vincent looked at her as she gazed towards the sky. "Tifa, look at me please," she looked at him, her burgundy eyes meeting his crimson ones "I am not at all uncomfortable at all. I am actually pleased that I had the opportunity to pass this message to you from someone who was so important in all of our lives.

"I am sorry that I have come across as cold and uncaring during our journey. I have received the closure that I needed after the battle with Hojo and I know now that I no longer should atone for sins that were never mine to begin with. I will follow the advice I was given and try to live my life to the fullest and that means allowing my friends to be part of it."

Tifa was speechless as she watched the stoic gunman. 'Yes, there seemed to be a bit more emotion than normal on his face.' She thought. In this single conversation, he had said more to her than he did previously during their adventure.

She smiled at Vincent. "Vincent, you have no need to apologize. I know that you have suffered and I am glad to see that you are finally at peace. I am glad that you consider me a friend and I want you to know that I consider you one too." She said lightly punching his arm.

A loud snore from Cloud broke through her thoughts and she laughed. "Well, I guess I should drag him off to bed before he wakes the village. Thanks again Vincent." She went to stand up.

"Tifa, I know it's not my place," he said in a whisper "but I have also noticed how much you care for him and I also know how it feels to love someone who doesn't realize it at first. I hope you take her advice and tell him soon. You both would be good together."

She smiled at him in thanks and walked over to Cloud. "Cloud, lets go before your snoring gets any louder…Barret, you coming?"

"Hey, I don't snore that loud." Cloud protested with his voice rough with sleep.

"Spike, if ya snored any louda, my eardrums woulda busted." Barret called over to him.

"Alright, alright. Lets go then, we gotta get an early start…and I DON'T snore that loud." Cloud murmured.

Vincent returned to his seat next to Yuffie.

"Night guys." Yuffie said as they headed off the platform.

"Night Yuffs." Tifa called back.

.::-o-::.

Vincent and Yuffie sat at the fire as the group began to disperse.

"Well Vince, I'm going to grab a bite to eat before we meet back here…that is, unless you want to join me?" she asked.

"I'm not hungry right now, but maybe tomorrow?" She nodded "You go ahead and get something to eat, I will meet you in a while."

Vincent stood, and offered his human hand to Yuffie. She grasped his hand firmly and he pulled her to her feet. They walked off the platform together but went their separate ways. Yuffie went towards the inn while Vincent headed to the canyon wall that was adorned with homes built into the rock face. He found a small ledge about twenty feet up and made the easy climb to the spot to do some stargazing until it was time to meet the Ninja at the candle.

.::-o-::.

At 10:28, Vincent caught sight of someone moving out of the corner of his eye. Yuffie was walking from the inn to the candle to wait. Seeing her walk up the platform stairs, he stood and leapt from his perch to the floor of the canyon and started towards the fire.

Yuffie looked up as she saw his red and black form ascend the stairs and approach her on the other side of the fire.

"Hey Vincent. Please, sit." She said gesturing to a spot next to her on the hard ground.

"Thank you." He said once again folding his legs underneath him.

"I just want to let you know that I really appreciate what you are doing for me. No one, besides Aeris has offered to listen to what I have to say and _actually_ take me seriously." She said, her voice slightly wistful.

"Yuffie, I know for a fact that there is more to you than meets the eye." At this, her eyes widened, no one had ever said that about her before.

"I want you to feel comfortable when you speak to me. Feel free to ask me questions and I will try to answer them to the best of my ability. Please know that I will _never_ betray your confidence. Anything said between the two of us, will stay that way, you have my word." He said looking down at her.

"Thank you Vince, that means a lot to me and I know that you would never tell anyone anything that I tell you." She responded with maturity rich in her voice.

"I guess I should start with what happened on the Highwind."

He gazed at her, remaining silent and waiting for her to continue.

"I'm beginning to get tired of everyone treating me like I am a child. I am not just the bratty child who is always plotting ways to get their damn materia! I don't know what it will take for them to trust me again and that hurts me.

"Barret and Cid would be the first ones to toss me off the Highwind while it was still moving if even one piece of materia came up missing. They only _barely_ tolerate me even being with Avalanche."

She paused for a moment "Vincent, are you still angry with me for what happened in Wutai? I haven't really had the courage to actually talk to anyone about how they felt about me now."

He looked at her, his eyes once again displaying regret. "Yuffie, I am not angry with you and I do admit that I was upset at the time but I was never angry. I was truly worried about your safety."

What I said to Don Corneo is not what I intended. Please forgive me for what was said. That man was a parasite and what he was planning to do to you was unforgivable. If Reno had not dispatched him, I would have for what he put you through.

"Yuffie, I do have a serious question for you and it is quite personal so I apologize for any embarrassment it may cause you."

"Shoot. I know that I can trust you."

"When Corneo had you kidnapped, he didn't _do_ anything to you did he? I know it is none of my business, but with someone as perverted as he was, there is always the possibility."

"I have no problem answering it, maybe if someone else had asked me besides Tifa, I would have tried to knock their block off, but I feel safe with you. He did try to kiss me, but I spit in his face and kicked him in a place that all men hold dear. Needless to say, they tied me up after that." She said with a small smirk at the memory.

'Thank Gods.' He though.

Yuffie looked up at the black curtain overhead "Ya know, I think you are the only one who does forgive me. I deserved every word that Cid said on the way back to the plane."

He shook his head "Yuffie, you did not deserve what he said at all. His words were quite harsh. I personally don't think that anyone should have to take that kind of verbal abuse. Despite what you may think, the others do care for you."

"Well I'll just say it again, I am really sorry for what happened back then. Hey ya know, ever since that 'incident' I have been able to understand you more."

"In what way?" Vincent was intrigued by this piece of information.

"Well Vince, when I was hanging from Da Chao, and you were speaking to Corneo, I admit that those words had hurt at the time, but when I looked in your eyes I saw the regret, embarrassment and anger. I knew the anger was not directed at me. When I saw that, I knew that you had regretted what you had said and I never knew why you would, that is, until now.

"Even though you don't express much emotion on your face, I can look in your eyes and get a good take on what you're feeling." He looked away momentarily then glance back at her to see her lips slightly upturned at the corners "See, right now you are embarrassed and a little shocked that I could see all that."

"You are just as perceptive as I thought you were Yuffie. You are probably the only one that can sense my emotions besides Lucrecia." He said, looking at the sky. This time when he mentioned her name, it didn't hurt so badly.

"There is something that I have also learned about you also." He said, "I know that you hurt deeply and the carefree aloof persona that you wear, covers that. You do not want people to see your pain.

"I also know for a fact that you don't care about materia as much as the others believe. I have known this since after the Wutai incident. My suspicions were confirmed when Cloud was discussing the summon materia they had learned about and you didn't even flinch.

"You don't believe what you told Cloud about why you needed the materia. It seems to me that you are being forced to do this."

She stared at him, her mouth agape. He had managed to figure all this out, he had seen through her. "Was it that obvious?" she asked, more to herself than to him.

"No, not at all. No one else has noticed. You are very good at hiding how you really feel."

"Well, you get good at it when you have been doing it for over three years. There are times when I almost can't control my emotions. I envy your ability to hide them so well." She said the last part so quietly anyone else would have missed it, but with his enhanced hearing, he had.

"You should not envy my ability to hide my emotions. I know now that showing your emotions is just another part of a normal life. Yuffie, I do not want you to hide anymore. I want you to show the _real_ you, even if it is just for me. You are too full of life to be hidden behind an expressionless mask. I don't want you to be like me. I don't want you to become me.

"Deep down, I know that you are a mature, intelligent, caring person and you should not have to hide that. In fact, I admire you for who you are, my young friend. Know that you are not alone and that I will be here to listen when you need me."

A long tear escaped down her cheek. 'He admires me…' she thought and the flutter returned again.

"Yuffie, what is the real reason you gather materia?"

"It's a long story-"

"We have only been out here for a half hour at most, and I would like to hear your 'long story' if you are not too tired and wish to tell me."

Actually she was surprised that she was not tired at all. Talking with Vince was like having a burden lifted off her shoulders. Besides he was her friend and he deserved to know the truth.


	7. Your Secret is Safe With Me, Part II

  
Chapter 7: Your Secret Is Safe With Me (Part 2)

* * *

(Same tags apply as in Chapter 1)

"Vincent, I do want to tell you. You are my only friend and I want you to know more about the real me. I will, however, try to condense the story as much as possible."

"Do you have any family still living?" She asked.

"I had no immediate family. I was an only child and my father died shortly after I began working for Shinra. My mother died when I was a child."

"Well, I guess that is one thing that we have in common." She said absently not seeing his eyebrow lift slightly. "I'm also an only child. My mother died of cancer when I was twelve years old."

"She was my best friend. She taught me everything that I know about being a Ninja and was the greatest shuriken specialist ever known to Wutai. Though I loved my father, my mom and I had a special bond that no one could break.

"She insisted that I excel in all areas of study and though I didn't appreciate it at the time, I will forever be thankful that she made me learn all that seemingly meaningless trivia that I thought I would never use in the real world. That information has managed to save my hide on more than one occasion.

"Anyway, when I was twelve, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. It progressed rapidly and the doctors tried everything but nothing worked. I stayed by her side, night and day and on many occasions, went days and without eating.

The day my mother died" her voice became thick with overpowering emotion. "That was the most devastating day of my life. I don't quite remember, but from what I was told by my father andothers, I collapsed a few hours after her death.

"In my grief over my mother's illness, I had begun to neglect myself. I was told that when I arrived at the hospital, I had gone from 102 pounds to only 60 pounds. I remained in the hospital for three weeks and died twice while there."

Vincent was speechless at these revelations. He knew that this was only the tip of the iceberg and remained silent.

"Eventually I was released and sent home with my father. Things were not to peachy between us after mom died. Every time my father looked at me, all I could see was the pain. Me and my mom could pass for sisters and the fact that her replica was there and my mother wasn't was too much for him to bare.

When I was thirteen, he bought me a house on the other side of town and ever sincethat has been my home. But even being on the other side of town wasnt enough for him. He gave me some bullshit story about needing materia to restore Wutai to the powerful nation it once was."

"Yuffie, I hate to interrupt, but who is your father?" He asked, interested to know who would distance themselves from their own flesh and blood based on their looks. He thought he might already knew the answer to this question, but simply wanted confirmation.

"Vincent" She paused for a moment, chewing on her lower lip. "What I am about to tell you, stays between us. I know you would never tell, but pleaseI don't want anyone to know right now. In time I will tell them, but not now."

He nodded.

"Myfather is Lord Godo. Godo Kisaragi, current ruler of Wutai and I, Yuffie Kisaragi, am the next in line for the throne. At the time of my fathers passing or when he decides to step down, I will become 'Lady Yuffie Kisaragi,' ruler of Wutai." She said quietly with her eyes downcast.

"I will not speak of it to anyone. When you feel you should tell them, you will. I am honored that you chose to share this information with me. Please, continue."

"Thanks, Vinnie. After traveling the world for three years, only returning to Wutai to bring back the materia I stole and spending short periods of time at home, I began to get tired.

"I returned shortly after my sixteenth birthday to find that nothing had changed. After confronting my father, I told him that I knew that he had been selling the materia that I had brought back and pocketing the money.

Here I had spent three years of my life doing what I thought would help Wutai, almost being capture, beaten, and nearly losing my leg trying to escape from a rape pack," she flicked the metal brace that supported her lame leg causing a metallic 'ping' to resonate in the night air. "When what I was really doing was making him richer. I told him that he should show me the respect that I have earned and said that I would no longer gather materia for him.

I told him that I would be the one to restore Wutai. He got pissed when I told him that I wouldnt do his 'Materia Hunting' any longer and-" Tears filled her eyes and threatened to spill.

"Hey, how much do you know about Wutain customs and traditions?" She asked with a shaky voice.

"I have a great deal of knowledge about Wutai, but I am not well versed in the traditions of the ruling families." He said honestly.

"Well at age seventeen, all decedents of the ruling family must begin a search for a mate. At age eighteen, they are married two weeks after their date of birth. The spouse will gain the title of Lord or Lady and after the death of the current leader, will rule along side their mate.

He nodded once again in understanding. "Go on."

"I remember what he said to me like it was yesterday. He said 'Yuffie Kisaragi, you will continue exactly as you have been doing until your seventeenth birthday. At that time, you will find a mate and if you do not find one before you turn eighteen, I will arrange a marriage for you to the person of _my_ choice and you _will_ be married two weeks after your eighteenth birthday such as tradition dictates.'

"If I dont continue to bring him materia, I will be disowned and lose my claim to the throne of Wutai. I also still have to earn my Ninja title or I will continue to be treated like a child. Though I have completed all of my training, I haven't gotten the official title yet."

Inside Vincent was silently fuming at how cruel her father had been to her. For someone who was suppose to love her, Lord Godo did not do a lot to show it.

'I care for her more than her father will ever care for her. He does not deserve someone as wonderful as her.' He thought to himself.

 **' _It was quite dishonorable for him to risk his only childs life in the pursuit of riches._ '** Chaos growled.

"Vinceyou okay?" The tiny ninja asked slightly concerned, Vincent had a distant look in his eyes and there was a brief flash of anger in them.

"I am sorry Yuffie, I don't understand how your father could risk your life over gil."

"Well, in the beginning, he really did intend to use it for noble reasons, but then I guess he realized it would take a lot more than materia to fix Wutai. He got greedy." She said calmly.

"How do you get your ninja title? I would like to help you accomplish this. You deserve more than his a lot more than his respect, but I can tell that means a lot to you."

"You would really help me?"

"Of course, Yuffie, you are my friend. I respect you as the exceptional person you are. I also respect your skills. Your mother taught you well, she would be proud of you."

He saw her shiver. Despite the fire burning before them, the late night air was starting to chill her. He reached up to the clasps and freed the cloak from his shoulders wrapping it around her.

"Thank you Vinnie for everythingI would love your help even though you have helped me more than you imagined already. It feels like a weight has been lifted from me." She reached over and held the warm claw in her hand. This time, however he did not tense, or withdraw his hand. Instead covered her hand with his organic one.

"Lets see," she murmured, "there are only two steps remaining for me to complete to gain my title. The first one is to defeat the five guardians of the pagoda. The guardians are the embodiment of the Five Mighty Gods of Wutai. Lord Godo is the final guardian of the pagoda, so I will be facing my own old man. As much as I want to cream him and show him how much of a better fighter I am than he is, I still love the old coot. Despite all that he has put me through.

"The final step is to win a great victory in battle. Since we will be facing the two biggest threats to the planet, I think that part is pretty much covered." She said in a light tone.

"When did you plan to defeat the Guardians? Does it have to be done before our battle with Jenova and Sephiroth?"

"Yes. I dont know when but we will have to do it as soon as possible." She said, deep in thought.

"I will speak with Cloud once we are underway again. If you are going to challenge the guardians, I think you should wait until after our respite."

"I agree. Thanks Vince." She looked up at his handsome face and gave him one of her genuine smiles and he gave an equally genuine and rare smile. She pulled the cloak closer with her freehand and rested her head on his arm.

'This feels right.' He thought to himself.

.::-o-::.

It was around 1:00 am when his thoughts were broken by the pixie that still had possession of his handsand he had no intention of moving either.

"Vince, can I ask you a question? You can tell me to shut up if it's too personal." She said shyly.

"I would never tell you to shut up, Yuffie. You may ask any question you like, and I will try to answer it."

"How did you become a Turk?"

He thought about the query for a moment before answering. "Actually Yuffie, I never wanted to be at Turk."

"Really?"

"Yes. Originally, I had nothing wanted nothing to do with Shinra so I would travel from village to village to offer my services to those places that were being overrun by the monsters that seemed to be thriving off of Shinra's Mako reactor experiments.

"I was very good at what I did and as time progressed, my shooting skills became unmatchedor so I've been told." He said meekly.

"One day I was clearing the fiends from the area surrounding Fort Condor when I came across a beast attacking a group of under-trained Shinra executives whose transport had broken down. Their soldier had been killed early in the attack and they were left to face the beast alone.

I ran towards them but I knew that I would not make it in time. I was still about 100 yards away when I saw the beast raise his claw and prepare to tear into the man he had pinned.

I raised my quicksilver and fired, hitting the beast in it's head. It collapsed to the ground and I arrived at the transport. I performed a cure spell on the down executive and helped him back to the transport. Another man approached me, and was utterly amazed at my accuracy with a weapon that was never intended for sharp shooting. After talking with him while the replacement transport arrived, he offered me a position at Shinra training their guardsmen in their firearms skills.

I agreed and joined them on their way back to Midgar. I was in that position for two months before I received word that I was to report to the Turk leader for my new assignment.

I went to the Turk in charge and explained that I did not want to position and would not take it. After some well thought out and placed threats on his behalf, I was forced to work for the Turks. Soon I became the best assassin that the company had known. I never had any desire to kill others.

If I had a choice in the matter, I would have never joined the Turks. Hojo would have never shot me and I would still be completely human. Then again, if I had not, I wouldn't have met Lucrecia. There would have been no one in the coffin that I slept inside of for thirty years in the basement of the Shinra Mansion when you all searched it.

"Hey Vinnie, sorry to break in here, but how old are you?"

"When I was locked away, I was 24, with the thirty years I spent there, I am Technically 54 years old. My body did not age while I was in 'stasis' so I am biologically still 24 years old. I believe I should resume aging at a normal place now."

"Wow. You look great for fifty-four, Vinnie!" she joked. But she was astonished that he still looked so good.

Vincent blushed. "Thanks."

"If those events hadn't happened, I wouldn't have been around to join Avalanche or even meet you, Yuffie." Now it was her turn to blush.

"And for those reasons, I now see can now see that everything happens for a reason. I am grateful to have met you, Yuffie Kisaragi." He said gently squeezing her hand.

"Vincent, we are more alike than we both thought. We both hide our true emotions in order to protect ourselves and we have both suffered at the hands of Shinra. They made you a slave and used you to do their dirty work and they destroyed the prosperity of my home. Maybe if they had never defeated Wutai in the war, my father would have never sent me on that stupid materia quest.

But even more than that, we have both lost people that we cared about more than anything. There's not a day that goes by that I dont think about my mother. And I will always mourn the loss of Aeris. She will always have a place in my heart and I dont think I will ever stop thinking about her. She's only been gone a short period of time but I can still feel her presence, watching over me." She said quietly.

"Yuffie, do you remember when I went to talk to Tifa earlier tonight?" She nodded "Well I received three messages from someone very dear to all of us. Tifa got one, I received the other and the final message is for you."

"You got a message for me? Why did you get a message for me? And from who?" She asked puzzled.

"While I was meditating, Aeris began speaking to me. At first I thought I was hearing voices, but she assured me that this was not the case."

Yuffie remained silent with tears glistening in her eyes waiting for him to continue.

"She wanted to communicate with you earlier today but decided that it was best that you were left alone to think. As I understand it, there are certain people that she can contact directly, while you are one of those people, she thought it was best to wait. She said that she would try to make contact after meteor is dealt with.

She said 'Please tell her that I am proud and honored to be her sister. Tell her that I will always be watching over her. I hope she finds happiness in what the future shall bring her and not to deny what her heart is telling her.

And though I do not know what this means, she said that you would understand. She said for me to tell you 'I told you so.'"

Yuffie gave a small chuckle though there were still tears flowing down her cheeks. "She was right too. I think she knows me better than I know myself."

Vincent gave her a curious glance but didnt ask any questions.

"Vincent, I just want to thank you for everything that you have done for me tonight. I don't think I will be able to show the real me quite yet around the others, but I feel at ease showing you. I will not hide from you, because it won't do much good anyway, you can see right through me just like Aeris could."

"If at anytime you need to talk Yuffie, do not hesitate to seek me out. I enjoyed our conversation tonight and I am glad that you could trust me with the secrets and burdens that you have been carrying."

"Vince, I want you to feel that you can talk to me anytime. You know where my reserved seat is on the Highwind, and I will always be around if you just want to talk since I know that I will take some time for you to get use to talking with the others.

I know that this is not the easiest thing for you, starting your life over and all, but I want you to know that I am proud of you for the steps you've taken so far and I know Lucrecia is also." She said with her head still on his shoulder.

"It's is very late," he said glancing down at the watch on Yuffie's arm "It is 3:30 in the morning and we both could use some rest. I think that we should meet before Cloud and the others return so we can discuss what supplies you will need to gain your Ninja title and what to do about the materia that was requested by Godo when we do journey to the Pagoda."

"Agreed." She said as they both stood.

She pulled the cloak tighter around her and reclaimed his hand as the walked back to the inn. Once inside, Vincent walked her to her room. "Thank you, Yuffiefor trusting me." He said quietly so he would not disturb the other guests.

She smiled at him and hugged the sweet gunman. "Its kinda hard not too Vinnie." She released him and opened the door to her room and handed back his cloak.

"Yuffie, your genuine smile is quite beautifulI hope I get to see it more often. He said with a smile before walking across the hall and turning back to her. "Goodnight Yuffie."

"Night Vincent."

.::-o-::.

Yuffie changed into her green wool pajamas and collapsed on the bed"He thinks my smile is beautiful." She whispered closing her eyes. "Goodnight to you too, Aeris." Was said before falling asleep dreaming of the wonderful Vincent Valentine.

'I think I am beginning to understand, Lucrecia.' He thought.

"Goodnight Aeris" was said before falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> o-o-Authors Notes-o-o
> 
> Long Chapter!


	8. Planning for Victory, Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> o-o-Tseng's Author's note-o-o
> 
> Tseng: Carry On.

* * *

Chapter 8: Planning For Victory (Part 1)

* * *

(Same tags apply as in Chapter 1)

The sun shone brightly on the face of one sleeping ninja. Yuffie groaned. "That's just not right…" she said pulling the blankets up over her head and going back to sleep.

Today was the start of their third day at the canyon and tomorrow they would resume their journey. Cloud, Tifa and Barret were expected to return today. Today was also the day that she and Vincent discuss how they were to prepare for the pagoda.

There had been no problems with the weapon that was still roaming the skies, but it was only a matter of time.

.::-o-::.

_-Knock, Knock-_

Two hours after Yuffie had buried her head under the covers, she rolled out the soft, warm bed at the sound and gracelessly landed on the floor.

"Shit!"

"Yuffie, are you okay?" Vincent muffled voice came through the door.

She looked over at the door, then at the clock. 'Crap, I was suppose to meet him fifteen minutes ago!' She thought scolding herself.

"Yeah, Vinnie. Give me ten minutes and I'll meet you at the restaurant." She said grabbing her shower supplies and a change of clothes.

"I will see you then." Was heard through the door.

Yuffie walked into the bathroom turned the knob for the shower placing her clothing on the countertop. Having removed her rumpled bedclothes, she opened the Chocobo print shower curtain and stepped under the warm spray.

Five minutes later Yuffie was dressed and pulling a brush through wet hair and cursing at the tangles that were determined not to be easily removed. She sighed and looked at herself in the mirror. 'Not too bad considering I just woke up. Luckily its still somewhat warm here in the canyon so hopefully I wont get sick.' She thought to herself.

She tossed the brush on the counter, combing her fingers through her damp hair. On her way out the door, she grabbed a notebook and a pen out of her pack and left her room.

.::-o-::.

Yuffie walked into the restaurant to see Vincent sitting in a corner, away from the entrance. As she made her way over, Vincent looked up at her and waited for her to take a seat.

"Good morning Yuffie, I'm sorry for waking you."

"Mornin' Vinnie. I'm glad you did wake me, there's too much that we need to be thinking about for me to sleep all day." She said as she picked up the menu and sat the notebook on the table.

It pleased him to hear her say 'we need to be thinking' instead of I. "I have given some though to the situation. I think it would be best if we used Chocobos to travel to Wutai when the Highwind departs tomorrow. That way, we do not delay the search for weapon. We can then use the PHS and set up a rendezvous point and rejoin the group." He said glancing at the menu.

"That sounds good. If we have Cid drop us off near the coast east of Rocket Town, It should only take three to four hours to get there. To be honest Vince, I really didn't want them to travel to Wutai with us. I think it would just be too awkward and someone might accidentally slip about the whole 'heiress to the throne' thing. But I am glad that you will be there with me. I feel better knowing that I won't be alone." She replied with sincerity.

Before he could reply, the waitress approached took their orders, and made a quick departure.

"Have you given any thought as to which supplies you might need for the battle?" He asked.

She opened the notebook to a blank page and uncapped the pen and made three lines down the length of the page and each column was had a designation. There was one for items, materia, and the last one was named, materia for Godo.

"I've been thinking," she started. "And I refuse to take materia from anyone so I think I'm just going to purchase some from the materia shop here. Plus, I think I could get a pretty good discount since I helped the shop owner out the last time we were here."

Vincent nodded. "We should start with the Materia that you will use." At this, Yuffie looked slightly apprehensive at the thought of asking to use the materia out of the group's stores. She knew that they would ask too many questions and be overly suspicious of her. "Do not worry Yuffie, I will get them for you."

She gave a sigh of relief. "Thanks Vince." The waitress walked over with their meals and left them to enjoy their breakfast. Yuffie smeared a small amount of cream cheese on her bagel as Vincent took a sip of his peppermint tea.

"Lets start with magic materia. Um, lets see…" she said wiping rouge cheese off her finger she was becoming nervous and she didn't quite know why. Vincent reached over and took the notebook and pen as Yuffie took a bite of her bagel.

"I will write it down for you, continue." He said gently.

She smiled at him. 'He's so sweet, he knows how nervous I am.'

By the time they were finished with breakfast, their list was complete. Vincent would get the materias from Cloud which included, Bahamut Zero, Hades, and Ifrit for the summons; comet, fire, bio, Mastered Cure, and enemy skill for her magic. The enemy skill was so she would have the benefit of the Aqualung, Big Guard and Beta skills. He was going to allow her to use his ribbon for her accessory.

.::-o-::.

They had visited the item shop and Yuffie had her Conformer sharpened at the weapons stand on the way to the materia shop. She picked up ten weak materias for Godo. If he asked, she would say that she ran into a man who had just come from the materia shop, that's why they weren't higher than level one.

Vincent was looking at the various materias in the display case while Yuffie made conversation with the shopkeeper. A pinkish-colored materia caught his eye…'a luck plus, that might be beneficial for her.' He thought.

"Excuse me," he said quietly. "How much would you like for the luck plus materia?"

"That one will run you 17,000 gil since it's mastered. However I have had a hard time selling it so the price has been lowered from 22,000" The shop keep said "But since you're with Yuffie here, I'll give it to ya for 12,500."

Vincent pulled the gil out of his pocket and handed it to the man who opened the glass display. "Thank you." He said as he reached in and took the pink orb.

The walked out of the store and decided to head up to the observatory. Nanaki was nowhere to be seen when they entered the small living area.

"I think he said something about going to visit his father before the others returned." Yuffie said looking up at the ceiling.

Vincent looked up also, but saw nothing and glanced at the young ninja, curious as to what she was doing. "Yuffie?"

"Follow me." She made the familiar climb to the top floor and placed their bags near the window. He shadowed her to the top of the building and sat on the roof patting the spot next to her.

"This is where I come when I need to be alone for a while. Isn't it beautiful?" She closed her eyes, basking in the warm, early afternoon sun smiling.

"Yes, it is quite beautiful." He said, looking at her instead of the scenery. He drew his eyes away from her and looked at the view. "Actually, the view is similar to the one where I go to think."

"Where do you go, that is, if you want to tell me?" She asked lying back on the roof.

"Its located on the other side of the Gi Caves. I found it when Nanaki learned the truth about his father."

Her eyes opened and she gazed over at him. "You go through the caves alone?"

"Yes."

"I guess the beasts there don't pose much of a threat. I didn't get a chance to see them last time we were here. One day, I might get a chance though."

"Maybe when this is all said and done, I can take you to my spot." He said, following her lead and laying on the roof.

She was touched at his offer. Even thought it meant venturing through the Gi Caves, he was willing to show her an area that was special to him. "I'd like that, Vinnie."

They had no desire to move from their positions on the roof. Yuffie was dozing and Vincent was meditating when his keen hearing picked up faint warking of an excited Chocobo. He sat up and saw three golden birds, on of which, was receiving some greens from Tifa.

He glanced over at Yuffie, who had fallen asleep again, and gently picked up her hand in his. "Yuffie," he said gently patting her hand with his. "Wake up. Tifa and the others are back."

"I'm up." She said yawning. "Lets go down and meet'em." Her voice was slightly slurred with sleep.

.::-o-::.

They made their way down to the entrance where Tifa, Barret and Cloud were standing with their Chocobo's. Tifa and Cloud looked excited. Apparently they had found what they were looking for.

"Hey Tifa, how was the trip?" Yuffie walked to where Tifa was standing with Kira and gave the golden bird a scratch behind the ears.

"Hi Yuffs! It was wonderful!" Tifa replied eagerly "The forest was absolutely beautiful and the weather for our little trip was perfect. I had almost forgotten what I was like to be in an area that hadn't been touched by man in hundreds of years. It was so peaceful…I was just like…"

Vincent left the women to their conversation and approached Cloud and Barret. "I trust your trip was successful?"

"Very. I think the stuff we found will help greatly. Hey, do you think that you and Yuffie can tell everyone to meet at the candle in a half hour? We'd like to discuss what we found and our plans for tomorrow, but first, I think showers are in order." His nose wrinkled at the sight of his dirty purple uniform.

"Of course." Vincent said as Yuffie and Tifa walked over.

"So, what's the plan Vincent?"

"We are going to gather the others and meet at the Candle again while they get cleaned up."

"Ok Vince, lets go. We'll see you all in a bit." Yuffie waved over her shoulder as the trio watched them walk away.

"Ya know, I think the brat is the only one Vincent opens up ta." Barret said with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Barret, don't call her that! Yuffie is a sweet girl if you spent a little time with her. And as for Vincent, he is starting to open up. Before we left, I had a conversation with him, and unlike in the past, it wasn't one sided. He's actually a very nice guy." Tifa socked him in his arm.

The burly man looked down at Tifa slightly shocked at this new information and rubbing where she punched him. 'Sometimes I think she doesn't know her own strength.' He thought. "You mean you actually started a conversation with Vincent?"

"Actually no, he came to me while we were at the candle before we left and spoke for a little over fifteen minutes." She said with a slight smirk. Cloud remained a silent observer of the two.

"Jus' when I thought I'd heard everything…" Barret trailed off headed towards the inn.

Tifa turned around to Cloud who had been standing to the side "You ready?" He nodded. "Lets go then, we can have Cid call someone from his crew to get the Chocobos."


	9. Planning for Victory, Part II

* * *

Chapter 9: Planning for Victory (Part 2)

* * *

(Same tags apply as in Chapter 1)

Once again they gathered at the candle. Vincent and Yuffie had managed to track down the remaining Avalanche members. The task was not that difficult; Cid had decided to take a nap in his room, and Nanaki had returned from the Gi Caves and was with Cait Sith in Bugenhagen library.

Nanaki's voice broke through the various conversations that had broken out around the flame. "So did you find what you were looking for?"

"Yes, everything was exactly where you said it would be." Cloud said gesturing to Tifa who pulled out a backpack.

"Our lil' ride over the ocean left somethin' to be desired." Barret grumbled.

"Oh Barret you're just mad cause Tiko tried to toss you off his back." Tifa tease as everyone chuckled at the big man's misfortune. "Anyway, we did manage to acquire a few new weapons. First, we have the Spring Gun Clip." She pulled out the clip and handed it to Nanaki.

"Thank you, Tifa."

"We also found the Supershot ST for Vincent." She said passing the new weapon to him. He nodded his thanks to her as he looked over his new gun. It could use a good cleaning, but otherwise, the parts appeared to still be functional.

"As we reached the end of the forest, we found Cloud's new sword, Apocalypse." At that, Cloud reached behind him and unsheathed the elegantly cut red sword.

"I also was able to acquire a new bracelet, a Minerva band." Tifa said as she locked the band across her wrist.

"Nice! That just like the one I took from Elena, 'cept mine is green." Yuffie said.

Tifa handed the bag to Cloud so he could continue. "Thanks Teef. As you all know, we were also looking for a summon materia that was previously only rumored to be still in existence. We have found that materia in a cave on an isolated island, along with two others while searching the Ancient Forest."

Cloud pulled out three materias and held up a yellow orb…"This is the slash-all materia." He sat the orb in front of his crossed legs and pulled out the next and sat it next to the yellow orb "that summon is Typhoon, I myself had previously never heard of it.

"And finally," he sat the last orb down to join the other two. "We've found the legendary Knights of the Round. It was found in a cave much like the ones that Vincent and Yuffie described.

"We didn't have a need to test them out on anything before we returned. Nanaki, do you have some information on them?"

"Yes." Nanaki sat back on his haunches, his tail flicking lazily behind him. "From what I have read on them, Typhoon harnesses the power of earth, wind, fire, and lightning combined into one attack. The Knights of The Round is completely non-elemental. There are thirteen knights that are summoned in this one attack and all deliver potentially lethal damage to all those that are targeted. This will very beneficial when we reach the bottom of the northern crater."

Tifa noticed Barret cast a wary glance at the ninja during Red's explanation of the summons. She looked over at Yuffie and saw that she was not in the least bit interested in the three new materia even though she was paying attention.

Yuffie seemed to have other things on her mind at the moment. 'I'll have to find time to talk to her…we haven't really had the chance since Aeris left us.' Tifa though then smiled as she thought of Aeris' message. 'Those were good times, we really were like sisters. I still know so little about the ninja. In a way, she's kinda like Vincent, I don't think anyone knows much about her either.'

"We will take off tomorrow to take care of Ultimate weapon. Seeing as this weapon has a tendency to flee, there's no telling how many times we'll have to battle it before its gone. Cid, Barret and I will engage it if there are no complaints to this set up." Cid and Barret shook their heads. "Then its set. We will leave tomorrow, anyone got anything to add?" Cloud glanced around at the group.

Vincent looked down at Yuffie for permission to make their request and she nodded. "There is something else that we need to discuss."

Cloud looked in Vincent and Yuffie's direction and nodded. "Go ahead."

"There are certain matters that require Yuffie's return to Wutai before she can proceed to the Northern Crater." Everyone looked at the pair quizzically.

At their glances, Yuffie spoke up. "Vincent will be returning with me in order to assist me. Since we both will not be fighting the weapon, there won't have to be any major changes to the plans that have already been made so-" The maturity that she was displaying at this moment left many in the group speechless and with more than a few questions. But Cid broke in.

"What in the fuck is goin' on brat? Why in the hell do we have to go back to Wutai? That's not a small fuckin' detour since the weapon was last seen in Corel area, near the old reactor." Cid said with displeasure at the thought of them going back to Wutai. Barret nodded his agreement.

Vincent glared at Cid and Barret. "I do not believe that we said anything about _everyone_ returning to Wutai. Yuffie clearly said that she and I would be returning to Wutai. Not the Highwind or anyone else for that matter. And if you had waited to hear what she had to say, you would have known that."

Cid closed his mouth and searched his pockets for his cigarettes noticeably unhappy about this whole situation.

Yuffie stared directly at Cid and Barret, her eye slightly narrowed. "Despite what you may think of me, I actually _do_ care about this planet. I do want to stop Sephiroth but in order for me to go, I _have_ to do this. Whether you like it or not, I **_am_** coming with you and I **_am_** a member of this group!"

No one had ever seen Yuffie so angry before.

She then directed her gaze to Cloud and Tifa. "All we ask is that you drop us off on the coast near Rocket Town and we'll travel by Chocobo to Wutai. After we're done, we will meet up with you after you're done with weapon. We can contact you by PHS." Her voice was quiet but loud enough for everyone to hear.

Vincent took this moment to rejoin the conversation. " _This_ detour will only add ten to fifteen minutes on your route at the most. We have purchased our own supplies but I require these materia." He said hading Cloud a short list.

He looked over the list, nodded, then past the list to Tifa. "Obviously whatever you two have to do is important. I have to admit though, I am curious about what it is, but I won't ask. I have no objections to dropping you off or to giving you the materia."

"Thank you, Cloud." Yuffie said while casting a quick glare in the direction of her two critics. Vincent nodded his thanks as well.

Tifa looked up from the list. "Are you both sure you want to go alone? I could go with you if you need me too."

Yuffie smiled at the older woman. "Thanks for the offer Teef, but we'll be fine. We both know what were facing and hopefully it won't take long."

"Well, I guess that settles it then. We'll head out in little under two days at 9:30 in the morning. 'Til then, you are still free to do what you like." Cloud looked into the fire and everyone began their own conversations again.

"Thanks for sticking up for me, Vinnie. I never had anyone do that for me." She said quietly.

"It was no problem. As I have said before, you don't deserve to be treated in that manner. I do not like when they," he looked over at Cid and Barret. "treat you like that." He said seriously.

"I am so lucky to have you, Vincent." She said honestly and smiled at him. She looked up as Tifa approached.

"Say Yuffs, are you busy right now? I was wondering if you wanted to join me at the restaurant. I know its kinda early, but I'm gonna turn in soon. We haven't talked in a while and I miss your company." The brunette said sincerely.

Yuffie grinned at Tifa and hopped to her feet. "Sure Teef, I'd love to! Lets go."

They started for the platform stairs and Yuffie turned around "I'll see ya later Vince." At his nod, she continued down the stone steps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> o-o-Author's Notes-o-o
> 
> There you go!


	10. Dual Departures

________________________________________  
Chapter 10: Dual Departures  
________________________________________  
(Same tags apply as in Chapter 1)

 

It had been almost a day and a half since their last meeting at the candle. Today they would restart their expedition. Yuffie sat in her room folding her clothing and putting them back in her carryall. Her time at Cosmo Canyon was the most relaxing break she could ever remember.

When she would return home from 'hunting,' she could never enjoy her short break. Godo was constantly hounding her to leave and resume her search. He was always telling her that she wasn’t trying hard enough or that the materia that she had brought him just wasn't good enough.

But here, in Cosmo Canyon with Avalanche, she knew she had at least three people who cared about her. She cared for everyone in the group, even Barret and Cid. They were like two very annoying Uncles. 

Her conversation with Tifa over dinner had allowed their old rapport to surface. The had spent a good portion of the next day together talking about their likes and dislikes, shopping, and sharing their hopes for the future. Tifa talked about Cloud and tried to get Yuffie to tell her whom she liked. They also shared a few tears over their sister that the pair knew was watching over both of them. They felt like family again. 

Yuffie had managed to steer clear of her past however. She hated herself for not opening up to Tifa, but she just couldn’t. Not Yet. Tifa was a saint and did not push the fact that Yuffie didn’t say much about herself and for that, Yuffie was appreciative. Maybe after all this was over, she would let Tifa in.

"Yuffie?" A deep voice called through the doorway.

She turned to face the door, which was now cracked slightly. "Yes Vince? Come in."

"I am sorry to disturb you, I knocked but there was no answer." He stepped into the room and noticed the pleasant scent of lavender in the air. 'If I'm not mistaken, that is the scent of the soap and shampoo she uses.' He thought to himself.

"No problem, I was just woolgathering. These last few days have been wonderful." She turned her stormy gaze towards the red orbs of her friend and saw amusement. The corners of her mouth lifted upwards. "What's so funny, Vinnie?"

"I didn't think that I would every hear you use the term 'woolgathering'.

She saw a the slight rise of his cheeks and knew he was smiling under his cloak and smiled when she remembered who had used that term in the past. "My mother use to say it all the time." He gave a respectful nod. "So Vinnie, are you prepared? How much time do we have until we set out?"

"We have about thirty minutes until we depart. How did your time with Tifa fair?"

"We had a really good time! We spent most of the day together…it was like it was before Aeris died…" She was quiet for a moment "Vinnie, I still miss her dearly, but you know, the pain is not so bad because I know that she is still watching us and I know I will get to speak to her in the future.

"I think that Tifa is one of the few people who really like me being around. She's been kinda quiet these past couple weeks, but she explained to me the problems she's been having accepting Aer's death. She told me she got a message from her too and she apologized for being so distant." Her tone was slightly sad at the thought of the others not wanting her around.

"Yuffie, Tifa is not the only person who enjoys being around you. I care about you and consider you my friend." He was somewhat shocked that he had said that part out loud and felt amusement from Chaos at his words. "These past few days have been quite nice for me as well. I am glad that you decided to stay with us after what happened." 

"Thanks Vince, I care about you too. I am thankful that you are here with me now and I am glad that you're coming with me. You are one of the only people that I trust." She walked over to him and gave him a quick hug around his middle.

She walked over and grabbed her bag off her bed. "Time to go…" She walked out the door with Vincent behind her. He almost ran into her as she stopped and let her eyes travel around the cozy inn. "I hope we can come back soon."

"We will." He said, looking down at her.  
.::-o-::.

Dust was kicked up in the dry air of the canyon as the Highwind's engines roared to life and began its ascent into the sky. Yuffie stood at the window at the front of the bridge willing herself not to get sick during this short ride. She knew that staring out of the window wouldn’t help much, but she couldn’t bring herself to break her eyes away from the Village till she could no longer see it.

"We'll be at the coast in 'bout a fifteen minutes. I don't think anyone has had a chance to prep Tiko and Kira." Cid said quietly to Yuffie.

She glanced over her shoulder at the pilot trying to hide the shock she felt. This was the only time that she had ever heard him go without a string of curses that usually accompanied his speech. This was also the only time that she had heard him so quiet. "Thanks…I guess I'll go get my babies ready." She started for the door.

"HEY DUMBASS, get over here and take the controls for a few minutes. Yuffie, wait a second, I'll help ya." He gave the controls to the relief pilot and walked towards her.

"Umm…okay. Thanks Cid." Her voice laced with confusion. Cid Highwind had NEVER offered to help her do anything. After all, he hated her, right?

Cid and Yuffie left the bridge. Vincent's crimson orbs followed the pair while his eyebrow rose slightly.

The walk to the Chocobo pens was made in silence. Kira, Tiko and Hiroshi warked happily as she saw the young ninja enter. She laughed as she saw the birds begin to hop and turn in circles. "Well hello, to you too!" 

Cid watched her from the door as she walked up to each bird to ruffle their feathers and give them each a light peck on the head. His heart warmed at the sight.

Yuffie led Kira out of her stall and walked to the bridles and grabbed Tiko and Kira's.

"Yuffie, I'll get Tiko all set up for ya."

"Here ya go. Thanks for the help Cid." The nervousness she was feeling was evident in her voice.

They both went about getting the birds ready when Cid broke the silence. "Yuffie…"

"Yeah Cid?"

"I jus' wanted to apologize to you for the way I acted the other day. There was no need for me to act like that. You didn’t do anything to get that kinda attitude outta me."

"That's okay Cid, I am sorry I yelled at you. I deserved everything that you said to me…even at Wutai." She cringed at the mention of her hometown.

"No Yuffie. You didn’t even deserve what I said then and I apologize for that also. Although I was angry, I didn’t need to talk to you the way I did."

Yuffie was silent. She didn’t really know what to say to him.

"Yuffie, I know that I don't show it, but I am glad that you joined us. Sure, we've had our problems but to tell you the truth, I think of you like a niece…a bratty one, but a niece nonetheless.

The young ninja felt her emotional control slip slightly but quickly covered it with a cheesy grin. "Well its nice to know you care, old man." She punched him lightly. "Oh, I didn’t hurt you did I? We all know how brittle the bones can be on the elderly."

He laughed at this and finished putting the bridle on Tiko. "Hey, I ain't that old brat!"

"Sure Gramps…" She walked over with Kira and took Tiko's reins in her free hand.

"CAPTAIN, PLEASE REPORT TO THE BRIDGE."

"Well, it looks as if this is where you get off. I better go take over before dumbass crashes my fuckin' ship. You be careful…I'm not quite sure of what it is that is so important for you to do, but it'd be nice if you brought you scrawny ass back in one piece."

"Thanks Cid. And of course I'll be back…I have the best bodyguard that I could possibly get protecting my 'scrawny ass'." He laughed and she winked at him as he left the pen.

She came out of the door with the two Chocobos in tow and was met by a waiting Vincent. "Am I right to assume that you and Cid have made peace?"

She dropped Kira's reins and walked over to her 'spot' in the cargo area of the Highwind to get her bag and weapon. "Yeah, it kinda shocked me though…" she trailed off deep in thought reclaiming the reins. The ship pitched as it landed at the coast. Yuffie groaned and turned an interesting shade of green. "I think it would be best if we left…urk…NOW…" 

They mounted the golden birds and headed towards the cargo doors to be met by Cloud and Tifa. Cloud walked to Vincent and handed him a small pouch. "Here's the materia you needed. Good luck, contact us when you are done and we'll make plans." 

Vincent nodded. "Thank you Cloud."

"You guys be careful and come back safe…I wish I could go with you." Tifa said.

The tiny ninja hopped off her Chocobo and gave Tifa a hug. "Well be back in no time Teef, don't worry about us.

"I'll try not to…Vincent, you be careful too." She called to him over the ninja's shoulder.

"Always, Tifa. Thank you."

"GOOD LUCK GUYS!" Cid's voice blared from the intercom from the bridge.

Yuffie walked back over and hopped on her bird and they started for the door. 

"YUFFIE WAIT!" They both stopped and turned around. "I forgot to give this to you this," she handed Yuffie a small piece of paper. "read it after we leave." Tifa winked at Yuffie with an evil glint in her eye.  
"Uh okay…bye guys!" 

Tifa and Cloud watched the two Chocobos sprinted in the direction of the water as the bay doors closed.

"Teef, what was all that about?"

"Oh cloud, it's just girl stuff…you wouldn't be interested."

He did bother asking again. 'There were just some things that I'm safer not knowing.' He thought as they headed back to the bridge.  
.::-o-::.

As they made their way towards the shoreline, Yuffie unfolded the piece of paper Tifa had handed to her before they left and read it:

 

Hey Yuffs,

I just wanted to say good luck on whatever you have to do. 

You know, call me crazy, but it looks to me like you have a crush on our resident gunslinger…don’t deny it! You KNOW you love him!!

See ya when ya get back.

Love, Teef

 

"WHAT?!? 

Vincent slowed his Chocobo to match her speed, concern set in his eyes. "What is it Yuffie?"

"Sorry Vince, don’t worry about it…I didn’t mean to get so loud…but I AM SO GOING TO KILL HER WHEN WE GET BACK." She folded the paper and put it in her pocket as they continued their trip to Wutai.


	11. Walking Tall

  
Chapter 11:  Walking Tall

  
(Same tags apply as in Chapter 1)  


After two hours of crossing the sea, a pair of gold Chocobos stepped onto the warm sands of the Wutain Coast.  The two riders hopped off the Chocobos and sat on the sand to give the two winded birds a break.

Vincent reached into his pack and handed Yuffie a bottle of water.  The young ninja looked slightly nervous about the task that she was about to undertake.

"Are you nervous, Yuffie?"

She took a long swig of the slightly warm water and looked out over the crystal clear waters. "Yeah, I am.  A little bit anyway…"

Vincent took a long pull from his own bottle "Do not be nervous.  I know that you will succeed in this trial.  You were taught extremely well.  You must believe that you will be victorious…I believe that you will."

"Thanks Vince…I-I just don't know.  I know I can beat that little punk Shake and the others.  I think I can defeat Godo but…I just keep getting this feeling that something will be different about this battle.  I never had the chance to watch one of the challenges at the pagoda because of my _job's_ 'extensive travel requirements.'"  She said sarcastically, emphasizing the word 'job'.

Vincent had to smile at her remark.  Despite the challenges that this young woman will face shortly, she remained level headed although she was nervous.  She went to through her pack, digging deep and removed the Chocobo greens.  His gaze followed her as she walked over to the birds. "Yuffie, you can not only _'think'_ that you can defeat Godo.  You have the necessary skills, but you will have to push your self-doubt aside and _know_ that you can do this.

"I know Vinnie, but it's kinda hard."  She reached up to stroke Tiko's beak.  "I know I probably already said this, but I am glad you came with me.  I would be a lot worse off right now if I had come alone."

Vincent raised an elegant eyebrow.  "How so?"

She walked over and sat in front of him with her legs folded beneath her.  "I feel more at ease when I'm around you.  It's almost like I can think more clearly 'round you.  If I was alone right now, I'd probably be thinkin' of all the reasons why I SHOULDN'T be doing this yet.  I would be trying to convince myself that I wasn't ready…" she trailed off.

He looked across to her and held her gaze and simply said, "You are ready."

She nodded and looked towards the sky, "I guess we should get this show on the road then…" she began to stand.

"Wait…"

She looked down at him curiously from her half standing position and sat back on the warm sand.

Vincent reached into his pocket and pulled out the pink orb and held it in the palm of his claw.  "I want you to have this."  He reached over and lightly grasped her small hand in his larger one and placed the mastered luck orb in her hand.

"Isn't this the materia you bought at Cosmo Canyon?"  He nodded.  "Vinnie, I can't take this from you, I-" she was cut off when she saw him shake his head.

"Yuffie I bought it for you, not for myself." He coaxed her hand to close around the orb "I know that you can do this.  You are a strong, intelligent and a beautiful young woman."  She scoffed at him calling her beautiful. "You will succeed if you want it enough.  If there is ever a time where you feel like giving up or things do not look as if they are fairing well, remember that you have luck on your side."

"Thank you Vincent." She placed the orb into a slot of her Minerva band.  "You are good to me…" she got to her knees and hugged him tightly as she whispered in his ear "I thank Leviathan that he has blessed me with someone like you.  Cheesy, I know, but its true."  Her heart was pounding, and she felt the color rise in her cheeks when he wrapped his arms around her.

His heart was thudding painfully in his chest as her warm breath kissed his ear as she spoke.  'Gods…' he thought.  "I am lucky to have you as well Yuffie."

He watched as she stood and started to her Chocobo, who had wandered closer to the water.  He took a few deep breaths, stood and started for Tiko.  'I think I do feel more than friendship for her…but, it's too soon…isn't it?' he asked himself then quickly shook that thought away.  Right now he had to be there for her and could not follow that line of thinking quite yet.  He had to focus on her.

She rode back to him as he was hopping on Tiko.  "We should be there in about ten minutes.  Well, lets mosey…" she said mocking Cloud and laughing. He laughed with her and they headed to the city that was off in the distance.

.::-o-::.  


They rode through the city and went straight to the Pagoda of the Five Mighty Gods.  Yuffie decided the sooner that this was over, the better.  The pair dismounted their Chocobos and Vincent secured them to a nearby post.

Walking over to her, Vincent pulled out the small, leather pouch that contained her materia while she retrieved the materia she had purchased for Godo out of her bag.  "Vinnie, can you hold these for me? They're the ones for Godo."

He nodded and exchanged bags with her.  "Those are your materia for the battle.  Is there anything else that you might need before we enter?"

She slid the last orb into her Conformer and tied the ribbon Vincent had allowed her to use in her short hair.  She shook her head "I think I got everything.  Lets do this."  Her voice was laced with determination as they walked the up the stairs and to the first level of the pagoda.

.::-o-::.

They entered an empty room where four of the five guardians waited.  One of the guardians stood and walked forward as the others were rising.

"Welcome back Yuffie.  We are glad to see you are well." The woman said with a bow.

Yuffie bowed in return "Thank you Chekhov."

"Have you come to see Lord Godo?"

"No, I have come to challenge the Guardians."

Chekhov's eyebrow rose slightly.  "Very well.  Yuffie Kisaragi, Daughter of Lord Godo Kisaragi, you have come forth seeking to challenge the Guardians of the Pagoda.  We accept your challenge.  Your skills and endurance will be tested today in the first step to obtaining your ninja title.  Are you prepared?"

"Yes."

Chekhov turned to Vincent.  "Friends of the challenger are allowed to accompany them as they proceed in battle.  However, I ask that you do not interfere in any way or you will be removed."

Vincent nodded. "I understand."

Chekhov, Staniv, and Shake walked to the stairs to wait on their floors when Shake turned around and smirked at Yuffie.  "I am so gonna kick your butt Yuffie!"  He stuck his tongue at her and blew her a raspberry.

"In your dreams you spoiled little brat!"  She yelled back as he disappeared up the stairs.

Yuffie turned her attention to Gorky, who was now standing before her.  "Shall we begin?" she nodded as they both were getting into their battle stances.

"Power Change."  He said.

The challenge had begun.

.::-o-::.  


Yuffie ran towards Staniv and brought her arm down in a diagonal swipe across his forearm.  He collapsed to the ground.

The guardians fell one by one.  It also pleased Yuffie to wipe that 'I am almighty' look off of Shake's face.  'Things look good so far…but a lot can happen in the last battle.' She thought to herself, winded as she walked to Vincent.

Vincent watched as she approached him.  He saw the beginning of bruises on her legs and arms but she paid them no attention.  He pulled out her water bottle and handed it to her.  "You only have one opponent remaining.  You are doing well Yuffie."

She downed the bottle of water and handed it back to him. "Thanks Vince.  This battle is going to be tough…I can feel it."

He placed his human hand on her shoulder and looked down at her small form.  "You will complete this task successfully."

She nodded as they headed to the fifth floor of the pagoda.  She stopped at the top stair and placed her hand on her right wrist where her Minerva band was and ran her thumb over the luck materia Vincent gave to her.

The other guardians entered the room as she made her way to the center walking tall with her head held high.  Her gaze was fixed on her father as he began to speak.

"Yuffie Kisaragi, you have defeated four of the guardians.  You have brought this challenge in order to receive your ninja title.  As the final guardian, I accept your challenge.  However, know this, if you hold back in this battle, you will be killed."  Vincent stiffened at this. "As a ninja, you are to use your skill to their full potential and no less…regardless of your opponent."

Her eyes were still fixed on his as she bowed slightly.  "I understand and have no intention of holding back."

"Then, let us begin. OMNI-CHANGE!"

A bright light filled the top floor of the pagoda as Godo was enveloped in the glow.  His body morphed under the energy that was showered around his body.  Despite the intensity of the light, Yuffie and Vincent watched the change while the other observers brought their hands up to shield their eyes.

When the light faded, what stood before her was defiantly not Godo.  What remained was a beast that stood nearly seven feet tall.  It's large head had three sides, each wearing either a gold, red, or white mask and it wielded a sword in one of its for hands.

Yuffie focused her energy on the yellow orb contained in her Conformer and brought the weapon in front of her. "Big Guard" she murmured as a green flash filled the room.  As the barrier formed before her, she dashed forward bringing her shuriken upward, slicing the torso of the beast.

The beast reeled back and brought its sword down on Yuffie, leaving a thin line of blood on her arm in its wake.  Her barrier took the brunt of the attack.  Its head spun to the white mask it wore and growled menacingly at her.

The dueling pair circled each other, each sizing up their opponent's weaknesses.  The beast launched into the air in an attempt to bring his weapon down on her once again but was stopped by Yuffie's Conformer.

She pushed its weapon away from her and stabbed a point of her Conformer deep into one of its arm pulling the weapon down its arm fiercely in an attempt to disable one of the arms.

.::-o-::.  


Vincent watched as one of its arms dangled uselessly at its side.  His heart felt as if it was beating out of his chest as he saw Yuffie nearly missed being sliced by the blade.  He watched her as she made a graceful back flip and launch her Conformer at the beast and make a large gash in its leg.

.::-o-::.  


The beast roared at Yuffie when her Conformer made contact with its leg.  "Shit!  I think I really pissed it off." She said to herself.  Suddenly she felt pain course through her body and a yellowish light flashed in front of her eyes and enveloped her body in its glow.  Her body fell back against the wall as she took a few quick deep breaths feeling deep lingering pain.  'I can't lose this fight!' she thought.

She pulled out a red orb from her band "Bahamut Zero!"  The room went black once again then was filled with a eerie blue glow as Bahamut Zero sent a beam of pure energy from high above. The beast was consumed in the explosion it landed on the ground from the impact of the summon.  Yuffie darted across the room, hitting it multiple times while it was still stunned.

A meaty hand was raised before it knocked her to the ground.  It hopped to its feet, the numerous gashes oozing dark blood.  The head spun once again to the golden mask.  It raised its hand sending a spell towards the young ninja.

Yuffie felt the spell hit her as she was surrounded in a red mist.  It was almost as if someone was sucking the life out of her body.  It's head started spinning again and she took the opportunity to pull the potion she was given by Staniv when she defeated him.

She felt most of the pain leave her body just as the beasts' head stopped rotating and landed on the red mask.  She saw it spinning another spell as she was sending hers out.

"Comet!" she shouted.

"Beast Sword!"  It said in an inhuman voice.

The room grew dark then was filled with a red glow as the two contenders spells were cast.  Yuffie's meteor slammed into the beast as a ball of red lightning sprouted from the ground under her feet, then consumed her.  They were both thrown to the floor at the force of the two spells.

.::-o-::.  


The five watching the battle gasped at the power behind the two attacks.  Vincent watched helplessly as Yuffie crawled to her feet.  'Come on Yuffie, get up!  You can do this!' His mind screamed.

.::-o-::.  


Yuffie managed to pick herself and made it to her knees as the beast stood and sent another spell her way.  A black orb shot from its hand and hit her in the chest.  Gravity felt as if it were trying to tear her body apart.  She cried out and was knocked back to the ground.  Her body was wracked in pain.

As the head was spinning once again, she made it to her feet.  She felt adrenalin dump into her system and anger flowed through her veins.  She held her Conformer in her left hand as her right brushed over the band completely covering the luck materia.  Her eyes were ablaze with black flames as her pupils dilated. "Lets end this!"  She swung her Conformer in an elegant arch over her head.

She gave an evil grin at the beast whose head had landed on the white mask. "Doom of the living." She said in a silent but deadly whisper.

She ran at the beast so quickly, it didn't have time to dodge the attack.  Her shuriken become a blur as she sliced and diced at it.  Multiple hits were made and there was just no way that it could block the rapidly moving ninja's weapon.

She leapt into the air and the shuriken rose over her head as gravity pulled her back to the ground, she brought her Conformer down with incredible force.  The beast flew against the opposite wall and did not get up. Yuffie fell to her knees, still injured and in great pain from the gravity attack.

The bright light filled the room once again and Godo lay on the ground, his breathing irregular from and exertion and the shock of the form reversion.

Yuffie pulled her body over to Godo and reached for her Conformer.  She pulled out her cure materia and focused on it.  She allowed her body to sink to the floor as placed her hand on Godo's chest and weakly whispered "Cure 3."

Green light flowed from the orb and surrounded his body.  As the glow faded, his breathing became even once again and he sat up with help for Staniv and Gorky.  Yuffie lay with her head on the cool floor as she focused her energy on the orb again.  Her mind couldn't fully focus on the orb and was only able to produce a low-level cure spell.

As the spell ended she made it to her feet.  Her body screamed in protest but she would not allow her pain to surface show now.

Godo stood and looked at his daughter.  'Her skills have improved.  I didn't think that she would be able to defeat me.'  He thought as he met her gaze that was trained on him.

"Yuffie, you have proven yourself worthy of your title.  The skills that you have demonstrated her have shown the five guardians that you are worthy.  Though you still have one task to complete, it seems you are well on your way."  He walked over to her and reached into a hidden pocket of his kimono.

"This is the manual for 'All Creation.'  It is a very powerful attack and few can truly master it." He placed a scroll in her hand. "This is summon of our great god, Leviathan.  May he always protect you."

She remained silent and bowed to him.

"Congratulations Yuffie." Chekhov said before leading Gorky, Shake and Staniv back downstairs.

.::-o-::.  


Only Yuffie, Godo, and Vincent remained in the room.  Yuffie and Godo remained in the center of the room, their eyes still locked.

Vincent had remained silent during this but felt a pride swell in his chest for his young friend.  'I knew she could do it.' He thought.

 ** _'She is truly skilled._** _'_   The demon agreed.

.::-o-::.

Godo glanced at Vincent as if noticing him for the first time.  "Do you mind leaving us for a moment, I need to speak to my daughter."

Vincent was about to leave when Yuffie stopped him. "No.  He can stay.  There isn't anything you can say to me that you can't say in his presence."  She said in a voice that said there would be no negotiations.

"Very well Yuffie."  He paused for a moment "Do you realize what today is?" not waiting for a reply, he continued. "Today is the twelfth day of November.  You have eight days until your seventeenth birthday."

"I realize that father.  I have brought you my _last_ delivery of materia."  She motioned for Vincent to come over; her body was still protesting the fact that she was even standing.

He handed her the satchel with the materia she had purchased and returned to the side of the room.

"Here." She tossed the bag at Godo.  She could tell he was trying his hardest not to look in the bag.  "I realize what is require of me during the time after my birthday.  It's because of this task that I will _not_ be returning to Wutai after my final visit to receive my title.  After that will return here on the eve before my eighteenth birthday.

"I will give Chekhov my information in case there is ever an emergency and I _need_ to be contacted.  I know that she will not give this information out to _anyone_ and I trust her."

Godo's eyes widened at this.  "You do realize it will be harder for you to find a good Wutain male, don't you?"

She smirked at him.  "Tradition doesn't say that it has to be a Wutain male.  Tradition doesn't even say that you have to approve of my choice.  But know this, the man I choose, or that chooses me will be more honorable, dedicated and loving than any man I could find here.  If I were to stay here to choose, I would be hounded by every man in this city only because they seek power.

"I know the person that I choose will not be corrupted by power."  She stated firmly.

Vincent watched this scene mesmerized by the way that Yuffie was standing up for herself and not allowing her future to be dictated by her father anymore than need be.

Godo sighed in defeat. "Very well Yuffie."

At that, Yuffie turned her protesting body and headed for the stairs as Godo sat on the floor.  Vincent followed her and as the made it to the stairwell, her legs gave out on her from sheer exhaustion.  She began to fall towards the stairs and closed her eyes waiting for the impact, but it never came.  She felt Vincent's warm hand wrap around her waist and pull her against him to prevent her from going down the stairs the hard way.

He reached for her Conformer and pulled out the Cure materia, using the power of the orb to summon a cure spell for her.  She felt the spell wash over her like cool water on her skin.  She sighed in relief…even though the pain was still there; it was brought down to a more bearable level.

"Thank you Vincent…lets get out of here and contact the others."  He nodded and helped her down the remaining flights of stairs.


	12. Hidden Talents and Sleepovers

________________________________________  
Chapter 12:  Hidden Talents and Sleepovers  
________________________________________  
(Same tags apply as in Chapter 1)  
  
  
  
"You stay here…I will be back in a few moments."  
  
Yuffie yawned and rested her head on the back of Tiko's. "Okay Vinnie."  
  
.::-o-::.  
  
Vincent went down the small isles of the market, careful to keep the claw under his cloak.  He really didn’t feel like having people stare at it right now.  
  
He made good time grabbing items for dinner and breakfast.  He was in and out of the store in less than ten minutes.  Vincent walked over to the Chocobos and stared at Yuffie in wonderment.  She had managed to fall asleep, still leaning against Tiko's head.    
  
Vincent grabbed the reins of both birds and led them to her house.  He really didn’t want to wake her but he had to, he didn’t have her key.  "Yuffie, where's your house key?"  She mumbled something and pointed to a front pocket in her bag.  "Is there a stable somewhere nearby?"  
  
"In back."  She said simply, and fell back asleep.    
  
He took the birds to the stable and made sure they had food and water.  The young woman remained unbothered by the movement and continued to sleep while he cared for the birds.  'Adrenalin can come in handy, but sometimes the exhaustion is not worth it.'  
  
He placed the groceries from the market into his backpack, grabbed their two packs and plucked her off of her ride.  She weighed next to nothing and had no difficulty balancing all of his supplies.  As he walked around her house to the entrance, he felt her bury her face in his chest and wrap her arms around his neck.  
  
Vincent's heart pounded almost painfully against his ribs as he pulled her closer to his chest.  He felt slightly dizzy as she wrapped her arms around his neck.  It was wonderful!  He had not experienced this in decades and thought he would never again after Lucrecia.  Here he was, carrying one of the most beautiful and brave women he had ever know…and it felt good.  
  
As Vincent walked to the front door of her house, he felt a familiar wave of guilt hit him, but pushed it away.  'If I am to start a new life like she wanted, I cannot feel guilty over the relationships that I have with others.  I can no longer dwell in the past.'  He told himself as he unlocked the door.  
  
Yuffie's house was very welcoming.  The couch and futon cushion were a deep blue with tan throw pillows and a folded fleece blanket, giving the impression of endless blue oceans meeting sand. Beautiful paintings adorned the walls around the large oak bookcase.  It was a little dusty, but her home was very well kept.  
  
Vincent walked over and gently laid her on the couch and removed her shoes, sat them on the soft carpet and covered her with the blanket.  He removed his cloak and sat on the arm of the couch, removed his shoes and placed their shoes by the door.  
  
"I guess I should start dinner now."  He murmured to himself grabbing his pack as he walked into the open kitchen.  He removed the groceries from the bag and placed some items in the refrigerator.  
  
Vincent washed his hands, feeling the bristles of the cleaning brush move over the sensory receptors embedded within his artificial hand as he made sure it was absolutely clean. With his hands dry, he removed the needed pots, pans, and bowls and soon was cooking up a storm.    
  
________________________________________  
An hour later…  
________________________________________  
  
Yuffie was quite content sleeping on the overstuffed couch, that is, until a delightful aroma began to drift into the living room.  Her stomach growled and her eyes opened hesitantly.  She rolled onto her side and smiled as she saw Vincent stirring something on the stove and the reach down to peek at something in the oven.  
  
Yuffie stood looking down at her sock clad feet and then noticed that Vincent had also removed his metal tipped boots.  Her muscles protested loudly at their use as she got to her feet.  She allowed her smile to grow as she carefully tip-toed to the kitchen area and leaned against the wall.  
  
Vincent moved through the kitchen with grace with his back to her.  He opened the fridge and grabbed a block of white cheese and began grating a small amount of the dry cheese into a bowl.  
  
"Hey Vinnie, I didn’t know you could cook..."  
  
Vincent whipped his head around and glanced at her, slightly startled.  He hadn’t heard her get up.  "I am sorry if I woke you however, dinner is almost ready."  The teakettle whistled and he reached remove it from the burner.  
  
Her stomach growled again and she placed her small hand over her protesting stomach.  "Naw, you didn’t wake me, my stomach did.  Need any help?"  
  
"If you wish, you could set the table."  
  
Yuffie finished setting the table as Vincent dished up their meal.  He walked over to the table and pulled a chair out for Yuffie. She looked up from her seat "Thanks Vinnie, your such a gentleman."  
  
He looked over at her as he went to grab the plates. "No problem."  He sat her plate on the table and her eyes went wide as he went back to grab a small tray that held the tea, grated Parmesan, and fresh bread.  Vincent had made pasta with a creamy Parmesan sauce with just a touch of garlic, baked chicken breast, and steamed broccoli.    
  
Her mouth watered at the site of it all.  "Wow!  This looks sooo good Vincent!"    
  
Vincent felt a blush rise in his cheeks but quickly stamped it out, replacing it with a shy smile instead.  "I have not had to cook in quite a while."  He poured them both a cup of tea and took his seat across from her.  
  
Yuffie took a bite of her pasta and closed her eyes savoring the taste.  "Mmmm…Oh Vinnie you can cook for me anytime!  This is the best home cooked meal I have had since… since…I don't even remember when. "  
  
He smiled at her. "I'm glad you like it.  I would be pleased to cook for you again.  I had forgotten how much I enjoy it.  Don't tell the others…I do not wish to be demoted to the Highwind's cook."  
  
Her jaw dropped slightly. "Is it me or did you just tell a joke?"  He didn't answered but the smile didn't leave his face.  "Vincent Valentine, I do believe you are coming out of your shell."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
The finished their meal in companionable silence.  Yuffie looked out of the kitchen window and saw the first stars begin to poke though the curtain of black above.  Vincent could not tear his gaze away from her as she looked out the window.  "Yuffie," she turned to face him. "I just want to congratulate you on your victory.  You showed all the strength that I knew you were capable of.  I know your mother is proud of everything that you have accomplished today…I am proud of you." His voice had decrease to just above a whisper.  
  
"Thank you Vincent, I hope she was watching."  She said with a warm smile.  
  
"She was."  
  
.::-o-::.  
  
The table had been cleared and the dishes washed.  Vincent decided that they should turn in early.  Yuffie was still recovering from her trial and needed the rest.  Avalanche would be arriving sometime tomorrow morning and they both wanted to be well rested.  
  
Vincent was seated on the couch reading a book the he had found on her bookshelf about Wutain art and was currently admiring a ornate blue and white vase.  Yuffie was in the shower since he had already taken his and had changed into some loose black sweats and t-shirt.  It wasn’t long before he heard the ninja's voice.  
  
"Oh gross!" She came out of her bathroom limping heavily without her brace a few moments later in her green pajama top and shorts.  
  
"What's wrong?"  He cast a curious glance in her direction.  
  
"How long do you think it will take for these to clear up?"  Her legs and arms were riddled with numerous bruises.  They ranged in color from angry red to almost black surrounded by a green border.  
  
"It might take a few days for the blood to disperse from the bruises but when we join up with Avalanche again, the full cure materia might cut that time down to a day."  
  
She plopped on the couch next to him. "Oh well, I guess I can stand having multicolored skin for another day.  Hey Vince, you got any other hidden talents I should know about besides your cooking?"  
  
"Umm…"  Vincent didn’t know what to tell her.  
  
"Come on Vinnie, how bout this: you tell me one and I'll tell you one of mine."  
  
He hesitated for a moment while thinking.  "Okay. While in the Turks, I didn’t have a lot of time to socialize with anyone outside of the Turks.  I had no desire to 'get to know' many of my co-workers besides Tseng.  Well, I finally grew tired of watching TV and reading in my quarters and decided to pick up a hobby."  
  
"I have always been interested in the arts so I decided to explore it.  I decided that it might be interesting to learn how to read music.  It took me a few weeks but I learned to sight-read almost anything.  I eventually taught myself how to play piano and became pretty good at it and enjoyed it.  I also learned to play other instruments as well over the years."  
  
"What all did you play Vinnie?"  
  
"Piano, violin, and guitar.  I own a flute as well, but I don’t play it as much."  
  
"Wow.  I didn’t know you were so musically inclined Vinnie.  Which is your favorite?"  
  
Vincent looked thoughtful for a moment. "I don’t have just one favorite.  I think the guitar and the violin rank equally."  Yuffie's eyes went wide at the thought of Vincent playing something as delicate as a violin. "I enjoyed them the most because it was a way to break away from the reality of my job.  I was never one for violence.  The sounds that they both produce are so rich and calming to me…playing them was my way of escape it…"  
  
"Do you still have them?"  
  
"I think they are still in my quarters at the Shinra Mansion.  I would go into the Nibel Mountains and play for Lucrecia."  
  
She picked up his claw and traced the metal seams on it.  "I would love to hear you play one day."  
  
"If they are still there, I will."  
  
"So I guess it's my turn?"  
  
"You don’t have to if-"  
   
"No, its okay Vince.  I don’t mind.  Besides, I said I would…its only fair."  She broke in before he could finish.  "You see those paintings over there?"  He nodded.  "Look in the lower right hand corner just above the frame edge."  
  
Vincent walked over to the painting.  It was an absolutely stunning painting of the area around the Pagoda.  It was so detailed, showing two children feeding the fish in the pond near the Pagoda.  Then he saw it.  Down in the corner in delicate black brushstrokes was a name…  
  
'Y. Kisaragi, 15-16'  
  
His head snapped back to Yuffie who was watching him from the couch.  "You painted this?"  
  
"Its not that good, I know but-" she started but was interrupted by Vincent.  
  
"Yuffie, do not deny your talent.  This is one of the most beautiful paintings I have ever seen.  I do have a question though…"  
  
"Shoot."  
  
"What are the numbers for after your signature?"  
  
"Well, I had just turned fifteen when I started it and finished it about a month before I met up with Avalanche when I was in between travels.  I have always love to paint and draw.  My mother encouraged me to build those skills.  
  
"One day, I had my sketchpad in my pack as I was sitting near the pagoda and started drawing.  I knew that it would take me a while to finish it because I was seldom in Wutai, so I ran to my fathers home and swiped his camera and took a few pictures so I could get the colors right when I transferred the drawing and painted it on a larger easel."  
  
"Yuffie, you are an amazing artist to be so young.  It is rare to see someone twice your age that captures detail like that." He was still awed over the fact that his Yuffie had created something of such beauty.  
  
"Thanks Vincent."  She yawned.  "I guess I should hit the hay.  You can have the futon.  I don't sleep in my room too often because of the drippy faucet in the bathroom.  I haven’t had a chance to have it fixed…it drives me nuts.  I will crash on the couch."  She said going to her bedroom to grab the extra blankets.  
  
She walked back into the living room and placed the blankets on the futon for Vincent she he stopped her.  "Yuffie, I will take the couch, you take the futon." He saw her open her mouth to protest but silenced her when he put an ungloved finger to her lips.  "There will be no debate.  You are still recovering from your trial earlier today, if you sleep on the couch, you will feel far worse tomorrow."  
  
"Alright you win…this time."  She sighed and laid back on the futon.  
  
Vincent turned out the light and slipped under the blankets on the couch.  "Goodnight Yuffie."  
  
"Night Vince."  
  
.::-o-::.  
  
Three hours later, Vincent's eyes snapped open and grabbed his Death Penalty at the sound of Yuffie's pleading cry.  
  
"NO! Please!"  
  
His eyes darted around the room, checking for intruders but found none.  He looked at Yuffie, who was tangled in her blankets and trashing on the futon.  He quickly made his way over to futon and sat on its edge.  He gently freed her arms of the blanket and attempted to wake her.  "Yuffie?  Yuffie wake up, your having a nightmare."  He received no response from the distraught young woman but her pleading continued.  
  
"No! Please don’t hurt them!"  
  
"Yuffie, wake up." he gently shook her.  
  
"No, no, no DON'T!  Leave him alone!  Oh my god, Hojo stop!"  She began crying hysterically.  
  
Vincent reached the young ninja and pulled her to his chest, rocking her.  "Yuffie…shhh…it's okay.  Its just a dream."  
  
Her cries slowed to a few hiccups but the tears still fell from her closed eyes.  "Vincent, I'm so so sorry…I couldn’t help you…I couldn’t get free…please don't die…" her words became whispers so soft he couldn’t even hear them as she fell back into a calm slumber still holding on to Vincent.  
  
Vincent was shocked by what she said.  His eyes narrowed and he cursed that bastard Hojo for causing so many so much pain.  
  
A dull ache had developed in his chest at the torment she had gone through only moments ago.  It made him wonder if she had always had such intense nightmares.  
  
.::-o-::.  
  
Now that she was calm, he tried to free himself from her grasp and make her comfortable once again.  Seeing that this was not going to happen without waking her, he pulled her close and moved to the top of the futon while pushing her pillow between his back and the wall.  He pulled the blankets over them and looked down at her.  
  
'She looks like an angel when she's asleep.' He though as he pressed his lips to the top of her head and closed his eyes, pulling her closer to him.  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> o-o-Author's Notes-o-o
> 
> I know some of you might think its weird that I have Vinnie playing a flute, you might even think its corny but if there are any ladies out there reading this, picture it like this…
> 
> We have Vinnie standing alone on a stage under a spotlight, wearing all black and looking sexy as ever. His long hair pulled back in a loose ponytail with a few strands escaping to frame is handsome face…he picks up a violin (or flute), his beautiful red eyes close as he starts playing his heart out. 
> 
> In my twisted little mind, that would be perfect…my heart would stop just at the sight!
> 
> Reno: -Looks at Ezri like she's insane- Um, yeah…okay…
> 
> Ez: Shut up Reno…he's hot!
> 
> Reno: -Pouting- Well I'm hot too…
> 
> Ez: Yeah you are but Vinnie is just so…Vinnie! -Vincent appears behind Ezri, grins and places his hand on Ez's shoulder.-
> 
> Reno: -Sniffling- I just can't be around you right now…I'm goin' back to Destiny's house…
> 
> Ez: Ah come on Reno, I still love ya man!
> 
> Reno: I know, I'll be back… -Snaps his finger and appears on destiny's doorstep.-
> 
> Ez: Mmmm…-who is now receiving a one handed scalp massage from Vinnie-
> 
> Vincent: Seeing as our darling author is otherwise occupied -Ez is slumped in her chair with a content grin and drooling as he continues the massage- I will do the disclaimer. -Pulls out a piece of paper-
> 
> Ezri-Candy does not own Final fantasy or any of its characters, Square-Enix does…She just brings us out to play.

**Author's Note:**

> o-o-Author's Notes-o-o
> 
>  
> 
> Well that's the end of Chapter 1. Vincent will be ooc at times, mainly when with Yuffie. I've decided to post this here, but I'm also thinking about whether or not there will be sexual content in this. I'll be deciding on that pretty soon. Reviews appreciated by not required. Flames will be given to Chaos to shred. If its something inappropriate, then the comments will be deleted.


End file.
